Slave Girl
by Ani-SanO.o
Summary: Five years have passed since Kagome had been captured by Naraku. Now, even after escaping his demonic clutch, she finds herself a slave in a fire demon's castle with other priestesses. Dealing with perverse guards, humiliating and revealing slave uniforms, and the threat of severe punishment, Kagome wonders if she'll ever be free. What happens when Inuyasha finds her in chains?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Chains**

 **Well, let me know what you all think about this! It's a new idea I had that I just had to start on!  
NOTE: Italics means its a flashback.**

 _"Put her down Naraku!" Inuyasha's voice roared through the night, his fangs aggressively peeking out. His eyes traveled back and forth from the evil demon's pale, grinning face to Kagome, who was being held tightly by Naraku's demonic grip._

 _However, the black haired half demon just squeezed, causing the young girl to scream out in pain as the pressure threatened to shatter her ribs. The smile on his face widened as he took in the sound of her sorrow. He had not been entertained much by her pain before, but seeing the way her screams terrorized Inuyasha, he realized that he would love to just torture the girl in front of him._

 _Naraku's barrier had prevented the silver-haired hanyou from getting to him and tearing him apart, but Naraku managed to grab the girl and pull her in, wanting to use her to collect the jewel shards._

 _"Inuyasha, you fool!" He shouted, though still amused, "Do you think I want this woman dead? I have better plans for her..."_

 _"Let me go!" Kagome wrestled in his grip to no avail. While her skills with the bow and arrow had increased exponentially, she was still, well, just a 15 year old human girl. With the average strength of one._

 _"I am done here." Naraku mused, letting his grin disappear all while still enjoying the upper hand he had against his enemy. But he knew he needed more than just to use this woman against her. He needed to make her obey him._

 _The last thing Kagome heard before being whisked away in Naraku's flying protected bubble was the shouts of a desperate Inuyasha calling at her. She watched from above as the hanyou attempted to follow them on foot. But he slowly faded from view._

* * *

The memory of Kagome's last interaction with Inuyasha played in her head like a movie on repeat. Once and a while, it would still creep up on her like a ghost and torment her while she was chained to the wall in a small dungeon.

But still, it was not just the memory itself that caused the pain to swell up in her chest, it was the overseeing eye of a reality that pushed her to move on from them. She had not seen the hanyou in five years. In fact, she hadn't seen her family, her friends or anyone she had known for five years. And she knew she had to be prepared not to see them again.

Her body began to shake and the sound of the colliding chains that held her arms high above her head rang through the room. Not that anyone would hear anyways. She knew no one was looking for her.

She drooped her head, knowing her only form of solace was in remembering the times she was free. Knowing that she had once been able to travel and enjoy her days allowed for her to keep in mind that it existed. There was a real world outside of her prison.

She missed the days she believed Inuyasha would come running to save her. The first week without him, she would anticipate his arrival every second, sword in hand, ready to take her home. She relished in her past blissful ignorance, thinking to when her faith in his abilities. Her story played through her racing mind.

* * *

 _After Naraku had kidnapped Kagome during a seemingly average nighttime encounter, he had shoved her into this stuffy castle, claiming that Inuyasha would never find her here. However, she refused to believe that. Her heart was lit up by the certainty she felt that he would bust through the door at any moment._

 _Naraku locked her up, planning on finding one way to corrupt her soul. She was left in a small and empty gray room, with nothing but a violet blanket sprawled out for her to sleep on. But it hadn't mattered to her because she knew Inuyasha was out there looking for her._

 _"Hmm, so there's the great reincarnation of Kikyo..." Kagura hissed as she opened the door, holding a glass of water and a pear, "You'd think you would be able to save yourself." Her red eyes narrowed in on the priestess's brown ones. Kagome stayed quiet._

 _"What is it? Do you like playing damsel?" The demon raved, "Does it satisfy some fantasy when your beloved half demon comes to your rescue?" She lightly set the water and fruit down for Kagome to eventually eat._

 _In truth, Kagura used those words to mock Kagome's confinement, but she truly wondered if the girl had the powers to break out. She almost wished she did._

 _The reincarnation's mouth slowly opened, "You'd think someone in this castle would realize that I'm not gonna help Naraku!" Kagura just chuckled._

 _"You think it all depends on what you want?" The ice in her voice froze time to a stop, "He has his ways, girl. You don't have to want to help him. What happens depends on your ability to fight him off."_

 _The demon had exited the room, questioning whether or not she could put any faith in this girl. After all, it was Naraku who held her own heart. And she craved to hold it in her hands, like grabbing onto freedom. But she knew she had to be careful, too._

 _Days passed, but Kagome's faith in her hanyou campanion did not waver. She ate her fruit and drank her water when Kagura delivered them to her. She slept only a few hours a night and began getting weaker._

 _Hakidoshi, as expected, eventually attempted to corrupt Kagome's soul by exploiting the jealousy she felt towards Kikyo, the dead woman who roamed the Earth, still claiming part of Inuyasha's heart. She was out there, still, but Kagome refused to feel hatred for the woman. It had been a week since her kidnapping, and she had less energy then normal._

 _"He will never love you like he loves her..." Hakudoshi commented briefly, hoping to push her off of the edge and into a storm of insecurity induced rage. And, while she was overwhelmed by the wave of emotions his comment had caused her, the feelings were of mostly saddness, not of bitterness or anger. While the lack of sustenance and sleep meant she was more exhausted than usual, she had still not yet wavered in her trust of her friends. Not yet._

 _She felt the tension increasing as even more days went by. Hakudoshi tried three more times to exploit her love for the half-demon. However, each time she thought of him, she missed him too much to feel any negative feelings._

 _"You are too blindly in love." The child demon exclaimed, "But it won't matter. If you do not give into the darkness now, you'll surely suffer later when you realize that you'll never be enough for him."_

 _He had not even expected that comment to break her down. In fact, he was ready to give up on the idea that Kagome could be so easily manipulated. Those words were mostly meant to just sting a little, which they did._

 _At this point, it had almost been two weeks since she had been trapped inside of her room. She sat impatiently, wishing for anything to happen. For someone to save her. Days had blurred a bit after being forced to deal with her feelings for Inuyasha and her jealousy of Kikyo._

 _"I could never hate them just for being in love..." She whispered, and the light in her soul shined bright for a moment. She was secure in her pureness, though unsure of where to go from here._

 _"Damn priestess." Kagura's voice seemed strained as she entered the room, "You resisting the corrupted jewel really got the man pissed off. Now I gotta deal with it." She gently placed the fruit and water down as she did routinely._

 _"I told you I wouldn't." Kagome whispered, reaching for the glass of water, "I like my freedom too much to let him control me."_

 _Kagura froze in place, just staring at the girl._

 _"You've got it lucky." The demon hissed, "You were born free. You just have to maintain your freedom, not go out and get it."_

 _The two seemed to be wrapped up in a different world for a second, as Kagura accidently exposed her true desires to the young girl. And, in response, the priestess just raised an eyebrow._

 _"You don't want to do this, do you?" Kagome questioned, leaning in closer as rage begin to poke its way through to Kagura's expression._

 _"Of course not!" She blurted out, "But I am not a fool! And don't think for a second that you can use me to betray Naraku."_

 _Kagome nodded, "Kagura... what is stopping you from leaving?"_

 _The demon turned away from the girl, "I don't have time for this... I don't need to vent to a damn helpless human."_

 _Kagome stood, "I am not helpless! I have fought evil! Even in this room, I'm free to make my own choices."_

 _The air in the room flowed swiftly between the two woman, both unadmittingly feeling connected to the other. Almost like a small, thin ribbon was binding them together. Their desires acted as a glue that kept the demon still. She hesitated, feeling jealous despite Kagome's current situation._

 _"...My heart. He has my heart." She spoke softly, "Without it, I am not free."_

* * *

Kagome relished in that moment, wishing even now that she was back in that small room all those years ago. She was twenty years old, now. Mature. Wiser. But still just as helpless.

Her eyes trailed down her body, noting the scars that were still somewhat visible. Instead of her schoolgirl outfit, she wore a maroon metal brassier decorated with gold lines that swirled over it. Her stomach was bare and thin, with pink lines wrapped around it to remind her of her suffering.

She was also adorned with a long scarlet skirt with a gold waistband. The skirt had two long slits that rose all the way up her thighs, revealing much of her legs. Underneath was a thin cloth that worked like underwear. She knew that, beneath this skirt, she would find more marks on her thighs, but was happy that she could not see them for now.

"WENCH!" A loud voice boomed from outside the dungeon. It was deep and rusted, like that of an older man. She recognized the tone to be aggressive, meaning she was in for a rough day.

The door slammed open, revealing a tan man presumably in his late 40's with a round face and beady eyes. He wore nothing but a tan robe tied together with rope. She knew him to be Goru, a hard headed guard with a liking for harassing the woman.

"King needs you to clean the throne room..." He grinned as he noticed her sigh. He pulled out a key from his pocket and unlocked the chains that held her in place, eager to deliver her over.

Kagome lowered her head, "Walk, dammit." He slapped her ass like a horse and she quickly began moving towards the exit. There had been a time when she would have challenged Goru, and she knew it too, but she was too exhausted to really care about anything besides just making sure she did what she was told.

The two traveled up a spiral staircase that clearly indicated how far below the woman's cell was. It seemed as though they had to walk a mile in order to get up to the throne room. There were times where Kagome contemplated shoving the dirty old man down the stairs to his doom. But she knew it would be in vain. The King had eyes everywhere.

"They don't starve you enough, damn bitch." Goru noted, "Those damn thighs ain't bone thin like they supposed to be. And that ass ain't flat either... Heh, but I'll take this view." He had always made her walk in front of him when it was time to take the stairs.

"You don't deserve the scraps you're given, but I guess it works out. Slaves ain't supposed to have full bodies like yours." He continued, groping Kagome, who had been used to this abuse, "But it sure does make for a pleasing sight."

Kagome had learned not to snap back at the man, despite wanting to. He would run and tell the King, usually exaggerating what she said. But the results would be catastrophic. She feared the King more than she feared anything else. He made her insides twist and turn.

So, she patiently walked onwards.

When the two made it to the room, Goru made sure to knock. Slaves were not allowed to announce their presence. A guard opened the door, hissing at the woman, but allowed her entrance. He moved out of her way and back to his original position.

"Oh, how delightful to see my little Kagome!" When she heard his voice, she looked down, not wanting to make eye contact. His sweet tone carried through the wind like petals, but she knew them for the thorns they really were.

"My King, I am happy to serve you." She said, automatically. It was practically routine to greet the King that way.

She could feel his eyes penetrating her skin, "Good. Because I need you to clean this room completely. Start with the wall decorations and we can go from there... And do not waste any time."

She gulped.

Goru handed her a rag and a bucket of water, smirking as he did, before rushing out of the room as to not irk the King.

Kagome began cleaning, making sure that no movement was wasted. She needed to be precise, yet quick, as to appease the man in charge, who watched her every move.

"You know, you are more beautiful than the others..." He mused, sitting straight on his throne, "The other slaves are so plain. But you've got those doe eyes and that silky long hair. Mmm, those legs."

She did not pause in her cleaning, just merely spit out a quick "Thank you, my Lord" before returning to her task. She despised the way he talked to her. He did it every time she cleaned the throne room. He enjoyed the power he had to say those things without consequence.

The King, Ninken, had many other slaves that were all priestesses. He was a fire demon who despised all of their spiritual powers. So he developed a spell that suppressed their powers within the castle and enslaved any he could get his hands on. He dressed them in revealing outfits as a form of humiliation, although, he never seemed to take interest in actually assaulting anyone sexually, but rather just took pleasure in verbally abuse.

The other men in the castle got more physical. Goru would grope Kagome whenever he got the chance, although he never took it further than that. However, she has heard the screams of the others while chained in the dungeons. She knows what some of the men have done to those women. She was grateful that none of those men had access to her particular cell, only Goru and one other did. While the King forbade any fornication between slaves and guards in order to prevent romantic relationships between them, some men knew that the slaves would never tell, anyways.

The other female fire demons in the castle mocked the enslaved priestesses as well. They cursed them and even spit at them when no one else was around. Kagome was all accustomed to it, though. Her soul was not corrupted, just weak now.

"If you are too slow, you know what will happen, damned priestess." The King's voice lowered, becoming more threatening. She forced her arms to speed up until she could not feel them as they rapidly moved across the various decorations on the wall.

There were two types of punishments for priestesses at the castle. Physical torture and mental torture. The first usually consisted of a few men with whips taking turns hitting the woman as she was chained. Mental torture was worse, though. Priestesses, despite having their powers suppressed, still had a plethora of spiritual energy inside them. The spell that was on the castle only prevented them from using their abilities, but did not destroy them in anyway. King Ninken used his demonic powers to manipulate the energy of the enslaved women to make it act more as a parasite, attacking the brain without causing any physical damage. It is more painful than being whipped.

And for some reason, it became one of the King's favorite ways to torture Kagome. The scars the woman bore were not recent, as for almost a year, he insisted on using mental torture, which Kagome noticed to be quite odd, especially considering the amount of time she sees guards walking around with their blood covered whips.

Physical torture was more practical, since the King himself had to be the one who manipulated a priestess's spiritual energy, but still, she had been subjected to only that method of punishment as of recently. And it even made her miss the sweet stinging pain of the whip.

"Kagome, why is it that you think I despise your kind?" He asked, leaning his head against his throne, closing his eyes and looking especially relaxed.

"Because we are low and pathetic creatures." Kagome answered, not even caring about her dignity. She had none here.

The sound of a soft, but annoyed sigh filled the room, causing a shiver to race up the woman's spine as she struggled to keep up the pace, "Dear girl, don't give me the easy answer. Of course I think you are pathetic, but _why?"_

She knew he was asking her to think harder about the question, which was hard to do while putting so much effort into cleaning, "...Our abilities make us... lesser?" She had hoped that answer would be better.

"Ugh, that is too simple." He groaned, prompting a quick apology from the slave woman.

"Stop cleaning, slave." He ordered, and immediately, Kagome dropped her arms, unsure of whether or not she should be feeling relieved or nervous.

She turned to face him, while avoiding looking into his eyes.

"Priestesses are low creatures to me. They use this pure power that rivals with the nature of not just demons, but even weak humans, as well." He leaned in, cocking an eyebrow, "It is almost like they are trying to be better that what demons and humans are. Imperfect. And you are imperfect, too. Yet, you draw your powers from a pureness that shouldn't exist in demons or humans. I want to knock you off of your wretched high horse to show you that you are nothing."

Kagome nodded, unsure of what to say or do next. Should she speak? He didn't ask her to. Although, she did find it peculiar that his reasoning for capturing priestesses and enslaving them had to do with the fact that he didn't agree with the type of powers they had, how it was pure and spiritual. She didn't really think of herself as higher than anyone, but there's no way he'd consider making an exception for her.

For a moment, both slave and master just soaked in each other's presence, not speaking and yet focused. The rest of the room faded away for a bit, as King Ninken's black eyes wrapped around her body. His pale skin contrasted with his black hair and he lifted a finger to scratch his head, messing up the strands.

"... Guard! Get Goru!" The King shifted his gaze away from Kagome and to the guard standing near the doorway, who swiftly ran out and fetched the older man.

"Yes, sir?" Goru bowed before him.

The King reverted back to watching the young woman, who stood silently with her head down, "Take Kagome back to her cell, I am done with her."

"Of course, my King!" The older man bowed before grabbing Kagome's wrist and tugging, "Come wench! Back to your prison."

In truth, the woman was happy to be heading back to her cell. While she was constantly uncomfortable being chained the way she was, she felt sort of safe, wrapped up in her loneliness where her thoughts could carry her to places she could no longer go.

On the way down the stairs, Goru teased the woman, lifting her skirt and calling her disgusting names. But she prefered his harassment to the pressures of dealing with King Ninken.

"It is getting late and I am too tired to be bothered by you again, wench." Goru started as they approached her cell door, "So, I am going to get you all ready for bed, now... And you better be damn grateful!"

"I am. Thank you." Kagome spoke gently, not showing her true excitement.

Being chained with hands behind her head meant she was constantly on her feet all day, unable to become comfortable. This is meant to be part of the punishment for being priestesses. However, since the women still need energy to do all the dirty work they are told to do, they are allowed to sleep on the floor at night. Their ankles are loosely chained just enough for lying down to be possible. It was on the cold ground which was unpleasant, but it was much better than standing all day with arms in the air.

Goru followed protocol, chaining her ankles and scoffing before leaving her alone.

"Finally..." She sighed, "Sleep." Her head rested on the hard floor, but she was used to sleeping like this. She bunched up her long hair so it would act like a pillow under her head. It was one of the perks to having such long hair. It made sleeping more manageable, although she did not want to think about ever having to brush the mess again. They were allowed to shower and wash their hair, but they weren't given combs or anything similar.

"I am not even free enough to brush my own hair..." She mumbled, staring up at the gray ceiling, wondering if she could ever released from captivity.

 _Freedom._

The word bounced off of the walls in her mind. Why had that become such an important theme in her life? She had thought that adventure, romance, and self-discovery was what was in store for her when she was after Naraku. Had she been so naive as to think she would never have to deal with the loss of her liberties? Had she not even been grateful?

Her eyes slowly closed. Would she always be subjected to such regret?

"I should have been... more appreciative..." She whispered, as she drifted off.

* * *

 _"Kagome, you like to cause me quite a bit of trouble." Naraku hissed as he entered her room, "I might have to kill you."_

 _The woman stood strong, eyeing him without fear. It had been weeks since he captured her and he was unable to break her down. Some days he even forgot she was there. But she had grown a bit discouraged. What was stopping Inuyasha from finding her? Was this castle really impossible to reach for them?_

 _"You won't kill me because I am your best bet at winning!" She sneered, confident that, at least for now, she was safe. Naraku did need her to have an edge over Inuyasha, especially considering the fact that Kouga, Sesshomaru and other demons also wanted Naraku's head on a silver platter._

 _He needed some other advantage, but until he found it, he would keep Kagome just in case. With her, he would win no doubt._

 _"You're a pest, child." He snickered, "But you may not be able to rely on your possible 'usefulness' forever. I will kill you someday."_

 _He took a seat on the ground across from where Kagome stood, "Tell me, girl, why are you still so sure that everything will end up well for you?"_

 _The 15 year old girl managed not to sigh. She really didn't know why she was so confident. She just felt optimism swelling insider of her._

 _"...Because it has to."_

 _"That's not true." He reached out his hand towards her and demonic energy shot out from his fingers and wrapped around her throat, "It could end up slightly better if you obey me, but you will never travel with your friends again." A cocky grin spread across his white face._

 _She struggled to breathe as the grip around her neck grew stronger and tighter. Naraku stood up, not withdrawing his demonic energy. Rather, he just watched her struggle, seemingly enjoying it._

 _When she had grown pale enough he released her, "There will come a time when you feel like this all the time. Suffocating. I wonder how long it will take before you crack and beg for relief."  
_

 _Kagome just stood there, letting her fingers glide across her neck while she breathed heavy. But she didn't understand what he was talking about? What more would he be able to do to her? She had assumed that Naraku was relying on Hakudoshi and the isolation to drive her insane._

 _"Kagura will deliver your meal soon." He mumbled, no longer amused by the girl, "I suggest you think about what I have said."_

 _He left her still gasping for air._

 _A few hours passed before Kagura entered the room, just watching the girl, "You know, it's been a month in here. And you haven't even tried to escape." He hands steadily held her small, daily meal._

 _"You are correct, Kagura." Kagome hissed, "And it's been longer for you."_

 _Kagura paused, her eyes narrowing down at the girl. But she knew she didn't have a clever response this time. She lowered herself down to put her food on the floor._

 _"Tell me..." Kagome began, sitting still, almost as if she was meditating, "Do you not know where your heart is?"_

 _The demon stiffened, "You've grown a little colder, haven't you... My heart is protected by Naraku who could kill me at any moment."_

 _"I am beginning to feel... like you." Kagome whispered, realizing that she had been relying on help that most likely wouldn't come. She could resist Naraku, but for how long would she have to? What would be the point of living in this stuffy room, hoping Naraku didn't find another advantage against his enemies?_

 _Kagura shook her head, "You are nothing like me."_

 _"You're right. I am more powerful." Kagome shot back, looking up at the woman whose red eyes were poking and prodding at the girl._

 _"Just because you have the powers of a priestess does not mean you know how to use them." The demon had truthfully, grown slightly fond of Kagome, despite her attitude. She wanted to challenge her into trying to escape. She needed Naraku to lose._

 _"I can use them." She sighed, "I just don't want to, yet."_

 _Kagura did not quite know what that meant. Was she waiting for the perfect moment to try to escape? To the demon, any time seemed like the perfect time when you are locked up in a small room, isolated from everyone you love._

 _"You are...peculiar."_

 _"What makes you say that?"_

 _Kagura cocked an eyebrow, "You are the reincarnation of a powerful priestess. You surely have the ability to resist corruption even in the face of cruel imprisonment and yet you are willingly sitting in your prison cell like a helpless maiden, claiming that you can escape when you want, but you don't want to yet."_

 _Kagome looked down at the ground, "I am still a girl, you know. Not a wise one. And I'm not even trained! I guess I still have thinking to do."_

 _"Don't sound so vulnerable and sad." Kagura mumbled, "I am a girl, too. There are plenty of them. Act like a man."_

 _"There isn't anything wrong with being a girl who thinks before she acts...I can be sad and strong at the same time." Kagome shifted and straightened her posture, "I had been waiting to be rescued... Now I'm discovering that I have to be my own hero." She bit her lip at the thought of relying completely and only on herself._

 _"It's a lonely realization, isn't it?" Kagura teased, wondering how long this girl would sit in this castle like lost princess._

 _"Yes, but I wish it wasn't."_

 _Kagura turned her back to the girl and began walking out of the room, "We both do."_

 _"Saying_ we _makes it less lonely, doesn't it?"_

 _But Kagura didn't respond. How could she? It is not like this girl was her friend. She had nothing to gain from forming a real bond with her. Nothing to gain by even entertaining the thought. She wanted Kagome to escape to spite Naraku. And she wanted Naraku to die so she could find her heart and finally have the freedom she truly desired. But this girl was as interesting as she was difficult to understand. And she had never imagined her as being anything other than an annoying damsel._

 _She left the room, wanting to look back but refusing to do so. And Kagome sat in her place, reaching down to the powers she had deep within her. Uncertain of what she could do or how she would use them, but confident that she would not die in this castle._

 **So, what do you guys think?**

 **I know it might be a bit confusing to follow this timeline, so here's how everything went:**

 **1\. The beginning was a flashback to when Kagome was taken by Naraku  
2\. After, it was present time as we are introduced to Kagome's current situation  
3\. We continue with a flashback to when she was taken to Naraku's castle, where she was locked in a room while Naraku begins his plans to corrupt her.  
4\. We are brought back to the present where we see where Kagome is and learn about the time gap as well as her imprisonment by a fire demon king.  
5\. We are brought back to her time with Naraku.**

 **So basically instead of just summarizing what happened before she ended up with King Ninken, I am going to use flashbacks to tell the rest of the story. If it gets confusing, let me know!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Mission**

 **Alright so I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter! And I hope you all like this one, too!**

 **And to answer the question posed by the guest reviewer, yes Kagome's outfit was partially inspired by Leia's slave outfit! I was watching Star Wars the other day. This slave outfit is a mix between that and a Halloween outfit I saw on a Facebook post. So, if imagining Leia's outfit is easier for you, by all means, do it!**

 **To Roseanna817: Thanks for those awesome suggestions! I really want the present and the past to be like to connected stories being told side by side (similarly to the TV shows Lost or Once Upon A Time). I really like the idea of presenting certain flashbacks at certain times within the story depending on what's going on in the present because a lot of the information in the flashback is hugely important! So I will most likely limit it to _at most_ 2 flashbacks a chapter, but don't worry they will be told in chronological order.**

 **Also, thanks to everyone for the kind reviews! I have so many ideas with this fic but I am so excited to continue!**

 **(BTW like most writers I also use italics for thoughts but they will ALWAYS have a clear and direct indicator that they are someone's current thoughts.)**

Kagome woke up to a loud rustling coming from up above. She wondered what time it was or why Goru had not come in to chain her back so that she was forced to stand. Perhaps it was earlier than she thought, although it didn't explain the unusual amount of noise she was hearing.

She did not want to question it, though. If something was happening that was causing a delay in the protocol for the prisoners, she was just going to enjoy the extra time she had to rest.

"It seems for some strange reasons, I have been dreaming about _her."_ She noted, wondering why she had been traveling through all those memories.

Kagura was the last person she ever thought she'd have something in common with. After all, she was born from Naraku to help him complete his sinister goals, which should have made her evil. Still, the demon had appeared to be much more complex than just a henchman. Rather, she was trapped and forced to execute his plans like a helpless puppet. She wanted more than that, though, as her beating heart lied outside of her chest and somewhere hidden from its owner. With it was her freedom.

The door to her prison swung open, revealing a short man, probably around the age of 30, with spiky blue hair and a robe much like Goru's. He stood there for a moment before clearing his throat.

"...Uh...An unforeseen chain of events have led to the slaves being of no use today. Be grateful... uh, wench." He spoke with uncertainty, almost as if he was trying to imitate the cruel disposition held by Goru, but was naturally unaccustomed to speaking like that.

Kagome knew him to be _Marvo_ , the other guard who had access to her cell and was much more reserved. He rarely pushed or even touched Kagome when it was his turn to escort her to her duties, almost as if he was uncomfortable with treating her so cruelly. She had figured that being a guard was not what he had aimed for career-wise, but he still seemed loyal enough to his job to follow protocol.

"Thank you..." Kagome said gently, noticing the way the man's mouth curled downwards, and how tense he was the whole time. Yes, being a guard was not really his thing.

Unfortunately for her, he was rarely on duty. Maybe twice a week he'd be the one to escort her around to where she was needed. And it was much more pleasant to be handled by him. He didn't grope her or anything, nor did he ever try to snitch to the King.

Marvo nodded his head, before leaving and shutting the door.

Kagome sat up, realizing the demon woman's face had not yet disappeared from her mind.

"I wonder if she ever got what she wanted..." The woman sighed, hoping that she did escape her maker, but unsure of if she'd ever find out. In fact, Kagome didn't even know if Naraku was still alive. For all she knew, Naraku could have been destroyed and Kikyo could have possession of the Shikon Jewel again. She might have even figured out how to destroy it for good. Maybe everyone settled down and gave up on finding Kagome. Inuyasha could have married Kikyo, Sango and Miroku may have many kids, and Shippo perhaps made a life for himself.

"It wouldn't be odd... for them to think I'm dead..." She whispered, not sure of how to feel. Her body ached with the thought of being forgotten by the man she herself could never forget. But a small part of her glowed with happiness thinking that all of her friends may have a good life wherever they are.

"No... I can't stay stuck in the past. _She_ would be too upset with me if I did." The woman looked around the room, wondering how she could distract herself from her thoughts. She wondered if the other women in the cells next to her would be able to hear her if she tried to talk to them.

Priestesses were not allowed to communicate with one another. Any form of interaction between them would result in a torture session with King Ninken. Isolation guaranteed that they would cause minimal issues and prevent any sort of rebellion. But right now with all of the commotion going on, there was probably a low chance of Kagome getting caught if she did try to call out to her neighbors. However, she would not risk that.

So, she sat in isolation, wondering if her daily chores would have been more entertaining than being chained all day.

* * *

"So, why are we investigating some damn demons here?" Inuyasha barked, turning towards his monk friend.

Miroku just sighed, slightly annoyed, "I told you this, since the trail to Naraku ran cold 3 years ago, we need some side work in order get paid and keep our skills sharp."

Sango trailed behind them as they walked towards a large wooden castle situated high on the mountains, completely detached from the conversation as she strolled besides her faithful cat companion, Kirara.

"Well, we already did some extermination a few days ago! Ain't that enough? We gotta find those jewels and that evil bastard! He's out there somewhere!" He fumed, wishing they could just focus on finding his enemy. Despite the fact that there had been no sightings of Naraku or any of the jewel shards he possessed, Inuyasha's determination to kill him burned strong.

"You're a broken record with that..." Miroku mumbled, clearly not entertained with the hanyou's obsession with hunting down a demon they haven't even seen in years. Still, he didn't push the matter much, knowing that much of his resentment towards Naraku stemmed from Kikyo and Kagome.

Not to mention, the monk really did not have back-up on the matter. While Sango did not complain when it came to doing side jobs, she also was always motivated to hunt down the demon. When he disappeared, so did her brother, Kohaku. And she at least needed to know what happened to him. It was almost as if they all vanished from existence, but deep down, the demon slayer knew they were all still out there.

However, it was true that without Naraku, there was little opportunity for the crew to battle against demons, which meant that without taking on some side jobs to exterminate troublesome demons, Miroku was afraid their skills would get rusty and they wouldn't stand a chance against him, if he ever did pop up again.

"Keh, what's the issue with this demon, anyways." Inuyasha crossed his arms, knowing that they couldn't back down after the monk promised all those women in the village they would accomplish whatever it was that they asked.

Sango wasn't surprised that Inuyasha hadn't been listening. He rarely paid attention to what townsfolk say to them, "There's a fire demon king in that castle who has apparently captured many priestesses and is using them as slaves. Over a year ago, a priestess from that village was taken and no one has ever been able to successfully beat the king and free her."

"What a cruel man... Enslaving all of those women... Wonder what he does to them." Miroku commented, eyeing the castle.

"Keh, don't care what he does. All I know is I'm gonna tear his head off so we can go back to hunting Naraku." Inuyasha snapped, trying to maintain his unconcerned disposition. However, deep down, he was becoming almost annoyed with the King as well, given the two women in his life would have qualified to be slaves.

The group continuing journeying onward, trudging up the mountain until the large fortress came into view. There were two guards at the door, who seemed un-threatened by the emergence of Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango and Shippo.

"Hey, we gotta talk to that king of yours, so let us in!" Inuyasha barked, earning annoyed looks from his comrades.

The guards looked at each other before scanning the hanyou, who stood ready to fight.

One turned to the other and then whispered something before receiving a nod in return. He then ran into the castle, leaving the one guard left to protect.

"Listen, demon!" The man spoke, "You will wait until King Ninken sends word regarding whether or not you will be allowed entrance!."

"Keh, and how long is that supposed to take!" Inuyasha groaned, clearly eager to get in and have it out with that King. At least then he could continue searching for clues regarding Naraku's whereabouts.

The guard didn't answer him though, he just stood and waited while the half-demon before him continued to growl.

The other guard returned before Inuyasha could get truly angry and lash out, "You may enter. Someone will escort you to the king's throne room." The man's hand extended as to welcome them inside the castle. The gang nodded and walked through the entrance, being greeted by an older, tan man. The hanyou could tell he was a weak fire demon.

"Hello, guests. It appears your arrival had been foreseen by some of our men on the mountain." He sneered, while still maintaining a friendly tone, "Please, the king is waiting for you."

Miroku nodded, "Thank you, sir. But may I ask, what is the situation in this castle? We have heard some complaints from neighboring villages and came to investigate the situation." He was sure not to mention that they were here regarding the priestess, in order to avoid any sudden acts of aggression or violence that would only delay their success. It was to their benefit that the group be welcomed inside as peaceful visitors, and something told Miroku that telling them off the bat that they wanted to free the slaves would not warrant a kind response.

Inuyasha caught on as well, knowing it was smarter to try to locate and even free the women before the king even realizes _why_ they were really there.

"Hmm... Well, we are a demon kingdom. I would not be surprised if some of our residents terrorized a few humans." The older man responded, his beady eyes traveling back and forth between the monk and the half-demon, "But whatever it is, I am sure the issue can be resolved." In truth, the man did not know much about why the king had accepted them into the castle, especially a mere half-demon like Inuyasha was, but he knew they were not allowed to mention the priestess slaves to strangers.

The use of slavery within this kingdom was an issue that elites decided best be kept private. In fact, when the women were taken, it was a process that was usually done in secret, meaning that villagers and possible witnesses were not exposed to any evidence of who was taking their beloved priestesses.

"Oh, I see. Well, in that case, I am sure this meeting will go smoothly." Miroku replied, sounding as genuine and professional as always.

The marched onwards until a large door appeared before them. It was a deep red and its height was about double that of Inuyasha. Without any written sign to clarify what this door led to, it was painfully obvious that it must have been the throne room.

The older man who led the group knocked on the door, then waiting for it to open. He kept looking back on the strangers, hoping he would soon find out who they were and why their arrival was so important. Ever since they were spotted, the people of the castle have been rushing to clean and prepare for them, stumbling about. Yet, no one besides the higher ups seemed to know why.

The large door opened with a creak, showing the face of serious man who said no words, but just moved out of the way so the group could meet the king.

"Ahh, thank you, Goru." The voice slithered over to the group like a snake, "And welcome to my guests. I am King Ninken."

Inuyasha was the first to step in, not showing any care for formalities, "It appears you have been waiting for us. Keh, what's the deal with that?" The half demon eyed the pale man whose wavy black hair fell plainly from his scalp. The king's head twitched when he was confronted directly, but he did not lose his patience. He sat straight on his scarlet throne, holding the posture one would expect for someone of his title.

"Listen, Inuyasha." He spoke with a monotone voice, his words shocking the hanyou who was surprised to hear his name, "Your group has... quite the reputation. As demon exterminators."

Miroku and Sango had caught up to Inuyasha, and stood by his side, listening to the king talk. They were now in the middle of the throne room, and the door had closed behind them, leaving the curious Goru outside.

"It is not very common to see a half-demon, a monk, and a demon-slayer traveling together. When you were spotted coming up the mountain, it was not difficult to figure out who you are." The king continued, "And if you are anything like what I've heard, I knew it might be easier to welcome you in and hear you out."

The group remained quiet for a second. Sango wished to scope out the castle a bit before revealing their true intentions to free the priestesses that were locked away somewhere, "...We have heard complaints about demons invading nearby villages and attacking innocent people. We would just like to ask for your assistance in finding the culprits and ensuring the safety of these people."

The king looked taken back by the demon-slayers response. He had expected for them to demand the release of the priestesses, to which he would deny their existence in this castle, but he was pleasantly surprised by the turn of events.

 _"If they are here regarding some insignificant matter regarding some fire demon delinquents causing a ruckus, I am sure I can get them out of here quickly..."_ He thought, too excited to even ponder the possibility that the group was lying.

"I am appalled by this! We are a peaceful kingdom focused on trade and the safety of our people." He began, although not looking as appalled as he claimed, "I will order an investigation and you can be assured that these culprits will be brought to justice, dear Sango."

Miroku winced when he heard the demon call her by name, but he still maintained a sincere disposition, "Ah that is...fantastic." He began, "We would like to take part in your investigation as well."

A small sigh escaped from King Ninken's mouth as he struggled to keep the corners of his mouth turned upwards. In truth, he did not want the group to stay, even if they claimed they were here to settle a minor demon attack on a human village. The longer they stayed, the harder it would be to hide the secret. However, he was determined to prevent any altercations with the gang of exterminators. He inhaled a large puff of air held it in his lungs for a moment, waiting before deciding what the best response would be.

"... Oh, I am sure there are other people who could use your help." He smiled, leaning in, "You have done your part by bringing this to my attention. I can assure you nothing will happen again."

"Keh, listen King Ninken, our job is to _stop_ these bad guys _our_ selves." Inuyasha barked, putting his hands on hips and showing no regard for the fact that he was in the presence of royalty, "We ain't leaving until the matter is settled."

Kirara jumped onto Sango's shoulders as they both noticed for a second that the king's expression had momentarily changed to one of rage and frustration before returning back to being jolly. She knew that the king was pretending to be kind with hopes of sending them packing.

"I insist it will be alright." The king mumbled through a strained smile, "We have too much going on for you to be here, wandering about."

Sango stepped in again, while Kirara was already bearing her small fangs, "With all due respect, this is our job. And we would feel more comfortable if we could see to the capture of those attackers."

This time, the King did not hold back the feeling of displeasure, but rather showcased the emotion on his face like a prized jewel. It was not that he purposely wanted anyone to know how he really felt regarding the matter, but he just did not have the energy to keep on acting so welcoming.

Inuyasha looked around the throne room, noticing the beautifully crafted swords that hung gracefully on the ivory wall, with small torches hung in between each one. Magnificent shields with gold flames adorning the metal base could be seen decorating the large room, as well. His golden eyes searched upwards and noted the stain glass masterpiece that was watching over them like the eye of God. It was an image of flaming ribbons delicately wrapping around a pale hand. While it was a sight to see, it was also of no help. The hanyou had aggressively hoped that he could pin point some sort of clue that pointed to the whereabouts of these enslaved priestesses.

However, not a single trace of any slave women could be found. He had not seen any during his walk to the throne room either.

"...My men are extravagant and reliable. You may stay one night here, but you will not participate in the investigation. The matter should be solved by then and you can leave having seen the culprits be punished." King Ninken said, sternly, "I do _not_ need hooligans causing a disruption in my kingdom."

The hanyou clenched both fists, feeling the pressure of his claws against his skin. Small growls could be heard emitting from his throat as he felt frustration hit him like punch in the face.

Sango, however, kindly bowed. She felt no need to continue bickering with him. As far as she was concerned, being able to stay as guests was a perfect way to begin investigating the whereabouts of the slaves.

"Thank you, King Ninken." She chirped, "Your cooperation is greatly appreciated. We will respect your wishes and wait patiently for the culprits to be found."

The air in the room thickened as the mutual agitation poured out into the atmosphere like spilled water. Sango lifted her head back up after showing her respects, and Ninken seemed to just stare at each of them, wondering how he would get them out as quick as possible. Despite having given them a night, if he could find out who was supposedly causing trouble in nearby villages before then, they'd be out before the moon even peeked its head over the horizon.

"...You all will be escorted to your room. There is a large guest room with a few beds that I'm sure you'll be fine with. Do not cause a ruckus and do _not_ go wandering about like lost children." The king declared, nodding at the guard who left the room.

"So are we just supposed to stay cooped up in some stuffy old room?" The hanyou barked, his silver locks bouncing upon his forehead as he spoke.

The king paused. He knew that if these people were out and about, there was a chance they may overhear someone discussing the slaves. But, how could he not arouse suspicion with an unreasonable request to have them remain in a bedroom until possibly next morning?

"...This kingdom is large and is home to many fire demons, but some reside in huts in the surrounding area. You may roam outside or on this floor." Ninken was relatively sure that the protocol not to mention the imprisoned women around visitors would be followed among those working on the this floor.

It was then that the sound of the large door opening once again stole the attention of everyone in the room. The guard had returned with Goru, who stood ready to take them to their room.

"When you are done guiding our guests, Goru," The king began, "Please return to me." The older fire demon dipped his head down to acknowledge and agree to the king's request.

The silver haired hanyou was not exactly thrilled about the situation. He was hoping he could just quickly free the women, kill the bastard king and get back to hunting down Naraku. However, he couldn't even smell them.

Goru led the group onwards past a long and narrow hallway with few doors. Some of these were left open and Miroku took note of the dining room, the kitchen and a supply closet that were left exposed to their curious eyes. However, he could not pin point anything out of the ordinary.

It did not take long for them to come upon a door nestled in the corner at the end of the hallway, far from most of the other rooms.

"This is where you will be staying." The tan demon hissed, before scurrying back to his king.

* * *

All of the running around above Kagome seemed to stop, as the noise quieted down to its normal volume, causing her to wonder if perhaps the priestesses would in fact end up going back to work. Although, she was curious as to what caused such a commotion. Usually, the women were told about days off prior, and it was usually do to special guests joining King Ninken for a feast. However, this all seemed to sudden, she wondered what could have happened.

Her mind wandered off to the possibilities. Perhaps an attack, although it she didn't hear any screams. And it was not a special occasion or else she would have at least heard people gossiping about it while she worked. Maybe someone important arrived without informing the kingdom ahead of time. It seemed to be the most plausible.

She winced for a moment as the scars on her bare stomach ached. She peered down on her attire, an action that she largely tried to avoid for the most part, as she . But it felt like blood was trickling between the seams of her skin, but when her eyes met the pink lines that embellished her body, she found no scarlet drops.

"Get em back up everyone! Just cause they get to be lazy freeloaders today doesn't mean that they get to just sleep!" Goru's commands to the other prison guards echoed through the large stone dungeon area. King Ninken must have ordered him to relay that message.

It was then that Marvo strolled in, his shoulders slouched over. He went over to her and propped her up, holding her hands above her head.

"Guess the king didn't want you all lying down all day." He muttered. Normally, she wouldn't respond. She never talked to Goru except to answer to commands, but curiosity was getting the best of her and this younger excuse for a stern watchman did not seem too threatening.

"...Must be some event going on." She whispered with hopes that the fire demon would reveal some information about the whole ordeal.

He shrugged as he finished chaining her, "Just some odd strangers coming in. Heard they're in the business of exterminating evil demons and wanna catch some troublemakers here who've been terrorizing some villages."

An eyebrow rose as she looked up above her, almost trying to see past the ceiling in order to get a glimpse of these exterminators.

"Hey! But don't get your hopes up wench!" Marvo croaked out after realizing that he shouldn't have said anything to begin with, "They're not trying to quarrel with the king. They'll be out before ever finding out that you're down here."

His finger had rose so it was an inch from her face and she shut her eyes, preparing for some sort of physical punishment for speaking out of term. But he just lowered it slowly and turned to leave, leading her to watch him in silence.

She didn't bother thinking too much about the exterminators. Hope was a luxury she just couldn't afford anymore. She would never see them because their cells were too far down to be detected. Even if she screamed at the top of her lungs, they wouldn't hear. And even if they did, she was sure the King could kill them anyways.

The loneliness of the room attacked at Kagome's sanity, but she found solace in drawing pictures on the ceiling with her mind, letting colors dash around like it was a piece of plain paper. She remembered the times where she would be teaching her younger brother, Souta, who resided in the Modern Era, how to color within the lines when he was little. She wished now that she would have encouraged him to let the crayons in his hands bolt across his coloring book, creating a masterpiece that was entirely original.

She recalled the way his hands had moved rapidly across the pages, leaving nothing but messy blues, reds and greens. And he'd feel proud even when they weren't in the lines. Even when they weren't even close.

"Oh, Souta..." She stammered, breaking the silence that was now prominent around her, "Mama...Gramps..." Back before being captured, she would travel back and forth between worlds, making sure to come home to her family. But now that five years has passed, she knew that her family had already mourned her death. No closure. No goodbyes.

A phantom touch grazed against her cheek, reminiscent of her mother's warm hands. She could only wish her family had made peace by now. But she could not help but speculate about how long it took before they assumed she had passed. After a few weeks of her not being able to attend school, they must have caved and pronounced her missing to authorities, but she doubted that they truly believed that she had died at that point. Was it a year of agonizing waiting? Had her absence torn through the fabric of their happy lives and tormented them with their unanswered questions?

Inuyasha may have traveled back to relay information about the situation. But at some point, after 5 years, they must believe that she was gone. She wondered if waking up every day with a tinge of hope that she'd return was more harrowing than finding out for certain that she'd never come back.

Salt water began to gather in her eyes like a flood, but not making it down her cheeks.

"No... don't cry..." She whimpered, leaning her head against the stone wall behind her, "I said I wouldn't... Even when I thought about the people I loved."

And it was true that she had made a promise to never cry over the things she couldn't change. She had broken that promise many times, as the pain and isolation were unbearable at times. But she was determined to stick to her word as much as she can.

"You always think of this stuff... Your old life." The words spilled from her mouth, "When will the time come that you will be able to think about it and not want to break down?" Her lonely conversation with herself calmed her for a bit.

But she knew she would always think back because the past was all she had.

* * *

 _Seven months had passed since Naraku took Kagome. She frequently tried to control her spiritual abilities, but with no one to guide her, she would fail constantly, losing hope a little every time. Using a bow and arrow was her strong suit, and when she shot one, there was always a feeling of intensity that would wash over her. She had assumed she could tap into that in order to succeed in gaining better control, but it never worked._

 _She tried to recreate the same flash of purple light that she had when she had first encountered Mistress Centipede after being pulled into the well, but only managed to create little flickers of glowing energy._

 _It was after another failure that Kagura pushed her door open, walking in with not one but two fruit and a glass of water._

 _"Naraku has gone out today with that brat Hakudoshi, leaving me with you." She placed everything on the ground, "I figured you could use more energy."_

 _The thought of being in this castle alone with Kagura excited the young woman, who imagined this to be the perfect time to escape. She was not sure if she could ever fully gain control of her powers alone in the room, so, despite having told Kagura that she knew how to use them, relying on them to escape was not a smart idea. She had been arrogant then._

 _"Shouldn't I just run?" She questioned, knowing that Kagura had nothing against letting her escape._

 _But to her surprise, the demon looked down, almost seeming disappointed, "You can't leave..."_

 _"Huh? What are you talking about?" The priestesses pitch raised a bit as wondered if Kagura was planning on remaining loyal to Naraku. She had believed that the woman before her had become a friendly acquaintance and ally, providing some much needed company from time to time and giving her advice. Could she really have been wrong?_

 _"This castle...It's not normal..." Kagura began, "We are actually in Kanna's mirror." Kanna was the first of Naraku's incarnation, a young girl who possessed a mirror that could trap souls, reflect attacks, and mirror certain abilities. However, up until this point, Kagome was not aware of the fact that Kanna's mirror could contain its own little world._

 _"...I don't remember entering her mirror..." The priestess stammered, questioning how that could be. She was conscious when Naraku kidnapped her. She should have seen it happen._

 _But the demonness only shook her head, "It takes less than a second to be sucked in. You probably didn't notice."_

 _"Then how do I get out?!" Kagome was practically shouting at Kagura, who slouched her shoulders._

 _"I-I don't know. Naraku didn't tell me. He creates a portal out of here or he tells Kanna to and it appears." She replied, wishing she could give Kagome more answers, "I just know that he can leave when he wants to."_

 _The two existed in an awkward silence as Kagome processed this new obstacle to her escape._

 _"I don't know how much longer I can be in here..." She protested, hoping to God that Kagura could figure this all out for her, "I-I'm so weak."_

 _"Of course you are. Why do you think he barely feeds you?" Kagura sat down across from the weeping girl, "You'll never be able to do anything with those powers of yours when your body is always exhausted. You've got no energy."_

 _It was true that Kagome barely ate. Although, she never thought that it would interfere with her ability to discover her inner strength. Perhaps it was not all just her fault like she had assumed._

" _You miss him, don't you..." Kagura spoke, looking away from her. Her red lips were formed into a frown, "I hear you at night. You call out to him."_

 _Even the mention of the man caused Kagome's heart to skip a beat, but it also created a large hole in the pit of her stomach, almost like a void of nothingness had appeared that no amount of food could satisfy._

 _"Inuyasha..." She whispered quietly, "He could never find me because we're trapped in that mirror..." She was not sure if the fact comforted or frustrated her. Now, she knew that Inuyasha had gone out looking for sure. Any doubt that he had given quickly dashed away. He probably left no stone un-turned but just couldn't find her because he didn't know about the mirror._

 _It made her happy to know that the reason for her being here after all that time was not because he didn't try hard enough. But she was frustrated because it made everything more difficult to her. She needed to escape._

 _"What is it like to love?" Kagura asked, unexpectedly._

 _"...Love?" Kagome had already admitted to herself that she loved the man. And the distance had only made that realization all the more apparent. When she was with him, running away from her feelings just seemed easy. But alone in this room, she had learned to face them. However, she had never been able to talk about or even think about what exactly loving him was like._

 _"It's like you want to see him smile and laugh no matter what. Even when he messes up." Kagome let her mind wander through, spitting out her thoughts like bullets, "Everything gets so intense when you look at him. Like life just gets faster. You feel emotions more passionately than before like...like everything that has ever happened in the entire history of world was leading up to this point. You feel like no one has ever felt so deeply about someone before."_

 _"How did you know you loved him...?" Kagura's voice broke through Kagome's thoughts, and she peered up at the demon who was now staring intently at her._

 _"I think deep down I knew long before I even wanted to consider it." Her cheeks had become rosy, "My name sounds the most beautiful when his voice is wrapped up in it."_

 _The priestess noticed how tense the demon had gotten and just watched her as she clenched her fists._

 _"...I want that. Even if it's not romantic. I want to love." Kagura blurted out, almost as if it hurt to say._

 _Kagome at times had been jealous of Kagura. She didn't have to feel anything for anyone. She could be alone without aching for someone to comfort her. There was never that one person that could haunt her in the ways Inuyasha's face had haunted Kagome._

 _But all along, Kagura had envied Kagome. Not just because she had her heart and freedom was more realistic for her, but because she had people to care for. She had companions who would worry about her not because she's just useful, but because they sincerely care for her. The demons had never experienced something like that._

 _The two women sat around, both feeling a metaphorical ribbon pushing them closer to each other. Every second they felt the silk pull tighter, like a sentient force guiding them towards each other. But neither spoke for a moment. They were the moon and the sea, the only place of comfort._

 _"...We never think we'll find it." Kagome breathed out, hoping to gather the perfect words to ease Kagura's hurt, "But in the end we will love and be loved. Or at least that's what I believe. There's really no point in thinking otherwise."_

 _"Pure optimism is silly."_

 _"...I don't think it's just optimism..." The words coming out of the priestess's throat glided across the air like rose petals, "Love is there for everyone who wants to go get it."_

 _Kagura bit her lip for a second, wanting to believe her sweet outlook, but not wanting to get too hopeful. She had felt the sting of being let down before, and how it truly felt as though your body was forever falling into a dark abyss. But how could she not latch on to those words as they sprinkled over her and gave her the first glimpse of faith and promise?_

 _"I must leave you, Kagome." The demon spoke, almost as if she was uncertain. But before Kagome could utter another sentence, Kagura was out the door, shutting it quickly, but not moving anywhere. He back faced the closed door for a moment before she turning back and just stared at it._

 _"How could this woman that I hated so much... make me gravitate towards her..." The demon reached her hand out the handle, contemplating going back in, but pulled back. She eyes the ground for a bit, knowing that if she were to be found out, Naraku would kill her and Kagome._

 _So, with much disdain, the woman sulked back into her room._

 **Okay so I'd just like to say that I absolutely love developing Kagura in this fic. (As well as Kagome who is obviously going to be more mature since she's older.)**

 **I'm already starting the next chapter, but I really wanted to get this one out to you all as soon as possible. Honestly this chapter is still introducing a lot of things, including getting to see Inuyasha and the gang. So I apologize if its moving a bit slow.**

 **But it's gonna move faster soon! I hope you all enjoy and don't forget to comment!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Leave Me Not**

 **Thank you both for the wonderful reviews on chapter 2! I hope you like this one as well!**

 **Also, I just wanted to add a _TRIGGER WARNING_! I don't want to spoil it but this chapter does contain some sexual content that may be triggering to some readers. Continue on with caution!**

 _Ever since that intimate conversation between her and the priestess, Kagura had become more interested in finding out the secret to leaving this damn castle. When Naraku mentioned Kanna to her, she found herself listening more intently, looking for clues in his words. But the man was not so stupid as to give her all of that information._

 _"It's been a year, my dear Kagura." He hissed, leaning up against the wall and taking a sip of what Kagura assumed to be sake. He had begun drinking a lot, probably as a coping method since his plans so far had failed._

 _"Yes it has." She replied, narrowing her eyes on him, feeling rage as he plainly drank his alcohol with no concern for her or Kagome, who had been in the same room everyday, with little to do. At times, Kagura would sneak in small trinkets that the girl would play around with to ease her boredom, but overall, she noticed how dull she had become._

 _"I need a new plan." He continues, running his fingers through his hair._

 _"Yes, the girl is obviously not going to be corrupted. There is no point to keeping her." She sneered, hoping he would just let her go._

 _"Ah, do you expect me to just set her free like that?" His voice rattled through the woman's bones, "I would kill her before I gave her freedom... No, she must stay. But I need to think of another way to corrupt her..."_

 _In truth, Naraku had become obsessed with using Kagome, even if seeking out an effective method of corrupting her took an absurd amount of time. But he had her in his clutches and she was, no doubt, the best ally he could ever have in this fight. He would feel pathetic if he let that go to waste._

 _"I know of nothing else you can do..." She sighed, not wanting him to make any rash decisions. Ever since she had been slipping the girl more and more food, Kagome had been getting better at using her spiritual powers. And the demon woman was sure that sometime soon, the priestess would be powerful enough to break free. All Kagura had to do was figure out how to get out of here._

 _"Let me out. And I can find more information on her from the half-breed. Perhaps we could find something about her that we could use to corrupt her." While she had no intention of truly helping Naraku, perhaps she could find something about escaping from the emotionless void that was Kanna._

 _"...Hmm...Very well." He managed to say, having barely any interest in what she did._

 _The man got up and pressed his hand against the closed door in the corner of the large room. When he opened it, there was only light. Kagura knew to walk through it. Normally, that door led to a small closet where much food was stored. Naraku had the power to turn any door into a portal. The woman just needed to know how._

 _"Go. And do not take too long. I will be sending out samiyosho to watch over you if I get suspicious." He smirked, before going back and drinking more. He knew Kagura hated him, but he was ignorant to the relationship that had been forming between her and the prisoner._

 _But Kagura did not need to much time. She didn't plan on truly getting in an altercation with Inuyasha at all, actually. While she knew Naraku suspected that she was planning on betraying him, he was too drunk recently to really take notice as to what was going on, and therefore did not make smart judgments regarding what he allowed his incarnation to do._

 _She stepped through the light and right before her eyes, she watched as her surroundings morphed until she could see that she was in the inside of a cave._

 _"Kagura." A small voice called out from behind and she turned to see a little girl with black eyes and long white hair curiously watching her, "Where is Naraku?"_

 _But Kagura just eyed the mirror in her hand, hoping that the man would not be able to hear the conversation she planned on having with this girl._

 _"...Kanna. Tell me, how did you create this castle in your mirror?" Kagura began, keeping her eyes on it._

 _The girl looked stunned, slowly realizing that her fellow incarnation was not with Naraku and that he would not be joining, "A jewel shard gave me this ability. I used its power to conjure up the castle." Her pale finger pointed to her forehead, where Kagura assumed the jewel shard was._

 _"...If we talk here, who can hear us?" The demon woman did not want to explicitly ask if Naraku was listening, as to avoid any more suspicions from the man if he was. So, she phrased the question so that it could be interpreted as if there were any enemies around as well, knowing that the small girl would be able to understand what she was talking about._

 _Kanna, much like Kagura, held resentment towards their creator. He had created Kanna to be a pit of nothingness who craved emotion and feeling. The numb sensation that existed where true passion may have been caused her to only feel one thing, and that was bitterness._

 _"Naraku cannot hear us unless I let him." She responded in her flat voice, becoming slightly curious as too what her demon friend was up to. A glint in her red eyes revealed that she had something mischievous up her sleeve, and the grin on her face displayed her rising feeling of power and confidence. If Naraku did not want her roaming out of the castle freely, then she'd just have to break the rules._

* * *

"Well, what now? I got no damn idea where these priestesses are." Inuyasha faced his two traveling companions, who were equally perplexed. Goru had escorted them to their room and left, giving them time alone to figure something out. But as they all stood in the rather decent sized four bedroom space they were granted, they realized they had no idea where to go from here.

"I ain't picking up on any suspicious scents, either. Besides us, this place reeks of fire demons and fire demons alone." He twitched his nose, "Are we sure those villagers weren't just wrong?"

Miroku shook his head, thinking up another explanation for the lack of evidence they were finding, "If they are enslaving priestesses, there must be some kind of _spell_ here that restricts their power, or else those women would eventually be able to break out of here."

The group contemplated that possibility, knowing that it would explain why there was no trace of them anywhere.

"The spell could prevent you from being able to pick on their scents as well!" Sango chimed in, scratching her head. While this hypothesis was a breakthrough in their mission, it also meant that this was going to be harder than they originally anticipated.

"...I don't think the villagers were wrong. Something about that King just threw me off." She continued, "I mean, he's hiding something that's for sure. Did you see how persistent he was in telling us to leave?"

"Yes. While it is quite normal that some of the castle be made off limits for non-residents, his reluctance to have us stay at all was very suspicious." Miroku added, hoping to think of some sort of plan to bust this fire demon. He cocked his head to the side as ideas fumbled around in his head.

Sango leaned into her thoughts as well, knowing that they had to do something and do it fast, as they only had a day here to do it. And they couldn't rely on Inuyasha's enhanced sense of smell to track the priestesses down. Nor could they expect for the priestesses to use their own powers. They were just so many possibilities for where they could be keeping the slaves. Behind the castle were an array of huts and other structures that were a part of the fire demon kingdom. They could be anywhere within the territory, and there were only 3 of them (and Kirara) to investigate!

"Surely we have to split up." Sango decided, watching the two men who nodded, "Someone has to explore outside, at least. It would make more sense that the slaves would remain in the castle so they would be easily accessible to the King, but we can't be sure."

"Keh, I don't think they'd put the slave women outside the castle!" He barked, knowing it would be a waste of time.

"Then, I'll scope out the outside so you both can cover the inside." Miroku piped up, knowing that it would be best if all possibilities were checked, "Besides, even if they aren't out there, perhaps I can catch the commoners gossiping about them and gain valuable information."

"Well, that's on you." Inuyasha crossed his arms, "I think that these women must be held either in the top floors of the castle, or below the castle. Ya ain't gonna find any prisoners in a random middle floor. Those are out best bets."

The group nodded in agreement, knowing that the odds were low that the women would be held anywhere else in the castle. There could perhaps be a cell for all of them in one of the towers.

The sound of scurrying servants and workers filled the room, like the pitter patter of a mouse running across the floor in the quiet night. The hanyou's dog ears shifted a bit as he focused on the sound, hearing the dropping of metal, clashing of pots, and angry yells of agitated men.

"Hmm, without having the slaves out, these lazy bastards are struggling to do their jobs." Inuyasha huffed, "Keh, pathetic." With all the free labor, most of the cleaning, food preparation, and general housekeeping chores were taken care of. Men were struggling to keep the castle functioning without their aid.

The monk leaned in close to his friends, "Well, I am going to begin the search. Remember, we don't have much time if we're really trying to free these women before we officially overstay our welcome."

"Meet us back in this room at sunset so we can regroup." Sango called out before the monk left the room.

"We don't really need a plan. Just walk around a bit and see if you can manage to explore other floors." The silver haired man eyed the door which the monk had just walked out of. The eagerness he flowed through his veins, and the rush of cold alertness swept across his skin. Something about this mission felt different, making him feel more motivated. Everything about the king's crime felt personal.

"Got it. Just be careful." Sango agreed.

* * *

 _"I have figured out a way to release you from this castle." Kagura sighed as she entered the dull room in which Kagome resided, "But it cannot be done in this room."_

 _Kagome lifted her head with curiosity, wondering if the demon was joking, "If you're trying to fool me, I'll use my powers to shoot all the hairs off of your head until you're bald."_

 _A soft chuckle escaped the older woman's red lips as she watched the priestess eye her with an expression of wonder, "This is no joke, stupid girl. I have talked to Kanna."_

 _Breath escaped from Kagome's mouth like a soft breeze blowing on a warm summer's day. Her gaze fell to the floor, as her words jumbled up behind her teeth. Truthfully, she knew Kagura would find out eventually. However, she had never thought that it would come so suddenly._

 _"...What do I have to do?" She asked earnestly as the demon placed her food on the floor and sat in front of her._

 _"Break the barrier on this door that keeps you from leaving the room. I can make portals on all other doors in this castle." Kagura spoke almost in a whisper, "Can you do that?"_

 _She felt her bright future lick her lips like a tease who would not yet give in, as she realized it was her weakness that was now stopping her escape, "I am not powerful enough to do that yet..." It was so close, yet still dangled in front of her, slightly out of reach._

 _"It's okay. Just practice." Kagura put her hand on the girl's shoulder, rubbing it slightly in an attempt to comfort her. But frustration was swelling inside of Kagome as she clenched her jaw._

 _The demon woman noticed her distress, understanding the feeling of being oppressed by one's own inability to free oneself. So she pulled a bottle of sake from within her kimono._

 _"Naraku is always a drunken, obsessed mess." Kagura hissed, "But you could use some relaxation. The pressure and anxiety you give yourself will suppress your spiritual powers."_

 _Kagome looked up and eyed the bottle. She had never gotten drunk before, and felt a bit too young for the experience, wondering what her friend was thinking._

 _"You want to get drunk?" She asked, confused, "What good will that do? I need to practice."_

 _But Kagura opened the bottle and extended it out to the girl, rolling her eyes, "Just take the damn drink. Haven't you suffered enough without getting drunk and forgetting your problems?"_

 _For once, Kagome just shut up and agreed that she was right, grabbing the bottle and recklessly gulping down several large sips before her face twisted at the taste. This amused the demon, who stole the bottle back and drank some as well._

 _The two went back and forth for a bit in silence, as Kagome begin to feel the tingling sensation tickle the surface of her body, while her head became numb and light._

 _"You know, I'm gonna kill that Naraku and send him right to hell!" She began sputtering out, "It's been over a year! I thought by now I'd be figuring out my relationship with Inuyasha after destroying the jewel. I mean, we haven't even kissed!"_

 _Kagura's eyebrow rose, "Oh, that half-demon? He's quite lucky."_

 _"Lucky?" Kagome mused, "That's quite the thought."_

 _"Maybe I could marry Sesshomaru and we could be sisters. I'd love to break down that serious attitude he always has." She felt the warmth of the sake spreading throughout her body, "He is quite the seductive type."_

 _The both swayed side to side, continuing to talk about their romantic lives and gulping down more sake._

 _"I just want to get laid before Naraku kills me." Kagura announced, not even sure where her thoughts were coming from. She had always hoped to live like a normal woman and find the right man, find a passion and live bravely. However, she had never realized her own attractiveness to the full-demon Sesshomaru. In fact, her sober self would never even waste time fantasizing about sex at all, nevermind with the demon lord._

 _They both hiccuped a bit before giggling. It was in that drunken, blurred moment that Kagura felt like a real woman, and not just some spawn who was on the outside. She could sit there and say ridiculous things to her friend and not be ashamed. Even if it was silly._

 _"What is your world like?...You know, in the future." The demon asked suddenly, widening her gaze and she leaned in close, almost like they were exchanging secrets._

 _"Hmm... Well our houses are better." Kagome started, scratching her head while still rocking, "We got this thing called... uh... cars that are like mechanical horses...and better clothes. We have better medicine and people go learn so they can pick a job when they're older!"_

 _"That sounds quite nice." Kagura commented, not quite grasping the description that was drunkenly thrown at her, but Kagome just looked off into the distance._

 _"My mom must think I'm dead. I have a little brother who probably thinks the same. And an old grandfather..." She blurted out, "I wonder if they had a funeral for me... Do they go into my room or is it hard for them? Because it's so hard for me not to feel their absence like I was stripped of a second skin. A-are they waiting for me!?" Tears formed in her eyes, "Mama...please wait for me." The words came out as a soft whisper floating like a feather caught in the wind._

 _She collapsed forward, her head inches from Kagura's lap. The demon watched with sympathy, almost feeling the freezing loneliness that brought goosebumps to her skin. She didn't have a family, so she had never truly thought about the fact that Kagome was suffering without seeing hers for so long._

 _"You will be out of here soon." Was all she could manage to the weeping girl._

 _They both could feel themselves sobering up quickly as sad realities of their situation settled into their minds._

 _"Don't leave me." Kagome shook in her sorrows._

 _"I'll always be with you. And you'll always be with me."_

* * *

Inuyasha roamed around the castle like a confused boy, simultaneously listening in on every conversation around him, as well as looking for entrances to lower or higher levels of the castle.

The fire demons around him would quickly silence themselves when they saw him though, just watching him as he passed by. But Inuyasha was not ignorant to this. And the suspicious actions of the people only further confirmed his thoughts about the priestesses being in the castle. But where could they be?

Goru was marching about, as well, seemingly confident in his current endeavors. Although, when he turned the corner and bumped into the hanyou, his eyes flamed for a moment.

"Watch it, half-breed!" He shouted, dropping his nice guy act immediately, "I am not wasting time with the likes of you!"

Little did he know the silver-haired hanyou was not one to take so kindly to insults. He balled his hand into a fist and let his knuckles crash into the older man's head, leaving a swelling bump, "Keh, I ain't dealing with you either, damned old man."

He walked right past him, although feeling especially suspicious as to what he could be attending to that was so important that he lashed out at Inuyasha for merely bumping into him. He did not seem like much of a higher up, especially given his cheap outfit. And there seemed to be some personal maliciousness targeted at Inuyasha specifically.

 _Keh, this old guy's gotta a lot of bad things coming if he plans on running his mouth like that..._ The half-demon thought, half tempted to turn around and punch him again for the crude "half-breed" comment. That was a hugely offensive derogatory term.

The parts of the castle with which he was allowed to venture were big enough that he did not see Sango while he investigated. She had gone to explore the inside as well, hoping to sneak to the forbidden floors. It was a difficult task, however, given that they stuck out like sore thumbs.

He paused to look at the gold designs that adorned the walls like decorations on Christmas tree. They flowed across like petals in the wind. It was quite beautiful. But the hanyou didn't care much for gold and elegant castles. He would tear all the walls off of this place before leaving without saving a damn person. His bones ached with disgust as he tried to think of how someone could enslave all of those women and what these fire demons must do to them.

"...Yes, I heard the prophecy has come! If we can overcome these guys, our lifestyle will be set." He heard a high voice in the distance.

"...I never want to work like this again..." Another, scruffier voice responded, clearly out of breath.

 _Prophecy? What the hell are these idiots babbling about?_ His eyes narrowed in the direction of the voices, but they soon faded away. His thoughts continued to rage forward, though, in an attempt to make sense of the nonsensical conversation.

It was not too difficult to figure out who that man and woman were referring to. The only people in the whole kingdom they would be trying to 'overcome' are the half-demon, monk and demon-slayer. However, calling their arrival some sort of prophecy as if they'd been expecting them long before the gang even knew about the fire demons seemed ridiculous. How could anyone predict that they would be asked to free these priestesses anyways?

 _It ain't like this mission is any more personal than the other missions we handled. Hell, we never planned on coming up here anyways._ The odd remarks continued to press on his brain for a bit before he shook them off and continued on his way around the castle.

His feet pushed forward as he crossed his arms and just looked for any clues. There were a few suspicious doors, but nothing that he could explore right away, as people always surrounded them. He wanted nothing more than to release Tessaiga and get everyone out of his way.

As he turned a corner, he was shocked to see the demon slayer walking his way. She seemed to be in a hurry as well, and her eyebrows furrowed together in worry.

"Oh thank God I found you..." She sighed, "It's only been a few hours, but the King... he's claimed to have found the attackers we lied about looking for... He wants us to come to the throne room immediately so we can witness their prosecution and then leave..."

A stunned look graced the hanyou's face as he realized their plan to lie about their true purposes backfired completely. He knew that if they all went to the throne room, they would be out of excuses on why they should stay and would just have to fight. But that put the priestesses directly at risk. If they began fighting the king, who knows what the protocol would be. They could have a set plan to execute the women if things ever looked bad for them.

"You go to the throne room and say you couldn't find me..." Inuyasha decided, knowing that this plan would at least buy them a little more time to ensure the women's safety before a fight.

"You need some sort of plan to find the women fast then..." Sango quickly responded, looking around to make sure no one could hear or see them.

They both thought for a bit, knowing that this was not going to be an easy task. Perhaps Miroku could have come up with something clever, but there was no time to look for him outside.

"...A disguise!" Sango leaned in, letting a sneaky grin appear on her face. "Find some sort of disguise that would cover your whole body, like fully body armor with a helmet. I've seen a few men in such uniforms."

Inuyasha blinked, his amber orbs studying Sango's as she waited for his response. A disguise would give him better odds of roaming the forbidden sections of the castle without getting caught. The only thing the hanyou would need to figure out was how to get such a uniform.

He contemplated the matter a little bit more, his mouth curling downwards into a frown. Stealth missions were never really his thing. So, sneakily stealing armor is not something he is entirely used to.

"You don't think it'll work?" Sango frowned, "That's the only plan I have right now..."

"Fuck it..." He sighed, "I'll figure out how to get some body armor and I'll find the women. Hopefully Miroku is alright outside."

The woman grinned excitedly, hope rushing through her insides. She wished Inuyasha good-luck and ran off in the direction of the throne-room.

 _Well dammit. Now I only got a short amount of time to steal some armor and figure out where in the hell these women are._ He thought bitterl before rushing off to start his new task.

* * *

"What do you mean you could not find the half-demon and the monk?" King Ninken's patience was wearing thin, now, as he eyed the demon-slayer who stood before him, "What reasons did you have for separating anyways."

"Please excuse me, King Ninken." Sango began as she stood right in the middle of the throne room, which was now filled with guards galore, "I have never been in such an exquisite castle. So, I wished to see more of it and stayed inside to walk around. It truly is magnificent."

Not amused with her compliments, the king just leaned forward, waiting for her to finish her explanation.

"Uh...Well, the other two are _men_. So, beautiful decor does not really excite them or anything. They wanted to explore outside and get some fresh air." Sango inhaled as she felt the eyes of the demons poking at her. Kirara jumped on her shoulder. "I haven't seen them since."

In truth, King Ninken was pleased to hear that Inuyasha and Miroku had gone outside. It gave him hope that maybe he could get them out of here before they discovered any of the kingdom's dark secrets.

"I was sure your men could find them, so I came by myself." She finished.

He still gazed at her, feeling as though, despite her apparent innocence, he should be a bit more suspicious of them. So far, King Ninken had no reason to believe that they really knew about the slave women. He did not know of anyone outside of the kingdom who knew about the kidnapping of these priestesses, as none of the disappearances were ever linked to this kingdom, but still. He felt this nagging sense of pessimism that overwhelmed him.

Still, he was happy to know that, according to her, the men were not inside. Even if they did know, they would not find them there.

"I will send more men outside to find them." He spoke deliberately, nodding at a few men who went out to hunt the missing men down, "But I do not want to wait to persecute these attackers. They will be judged and executed here."

With that, three young fire demons were brought inside, their hands tied behind their backs. They were thrown in front of Sango, so they all were on their knees. Their faces were dirty and tears began to swell in their eyes. She cocked an eyebrow, knowing that these poor men were not killers.

"What evidence do you have against these young men?" She asked, sympathetically looking down at them.

The king sat straight on his throne, his face as serious and apathetic as always, "We heard them gossiping about their kills. It was a basic confession in our eyes. These filthy poor boys were discussing it like pathetic vermin."

"Please, miss." One spoke up, "I swear this is a misunderstanding. We never said anything like that and we didn't kill nobody!"

"Hush, you filth." King Ninken stood from his throne, agitated, "Do you claim that these elites are liars? That my men are fools?"

Sango knew that something was not right as she watched these young men tremble. They didn't seem strong, nor brave. There was nothing that indicated that they were even capable of committing any acts of violence. Even if there had been attacks by fire demons on innocent villagers, there was no way she would ever believe they did it.

 _Did...Did this king really pick up some innocent poor boys from his kingdom and accuse them of murder for his own agenda? Is he really going to kill them just so we would have to leave? This is disgusting. These are just impoverished teenage demons._

"They are not questioning you, King Ninken." She clenched her jaws in anger as she felt the desperate fear of those at her feet, "I am."

The king sat back down, a frown forming on his face, "How dare you..."

"You will kill your own based on word of mouth?" She continued, wishing she could slice him into pieces right here, "That is dishonorable behavior. I demand a trial."

"Trial?" He laughed, "You _demand_ a trial? Should you not be happy that these scoundrels have been caught? Just look at them. They are like pigs."

"I will not leave without a trial." She pressed on. Part of her knew that a trial was perfect for giving Inuyasha more time. But she also could not stand by idly as this demon sacrificed innocent lives to protect his disgusting secret. She looked down and saw the young mens' wide eyes watching her, almost like they were begging her to save them. They had the look of lost children, with a faint glint of hope.

"...You are as annoying as you are beautiful." He announced through his teeth. He was running out of patience now. He knew that starting a fight was not in his best interest. What he has heard about these exterminators worried him greatly, but he was not sure how much longer he could entertain this situation without lashing out.

"...Fine. But it will be quick. And you are the only one defending them." He hissed, "The trial will begin as soon as I gather together a jury. This should be quick. It will start with or without your friends."

An exhale of relief was emitted from the mouths of the suspected demons, who gazed up at Sango gratefully.

"Thank you, miss." One whispered, "You are our hero."

* * *

The agonizing hours seemed to blend as Kagome just existed in total silence. But her curiosity continued to peak as she heard the few guards outside of her cell gossip. While she could not make out what they were saying, she heard words like "prophecy" and "warriors" being spit out.

"What could be going on?" She wondered. At this point, the exterminators Marvo had mentioned seemed to be more trouble then he had described them to be.

"As long as we keep em hidden, we'll be fine." One voice slithered in through the cracks in the walls, and she leaned her head to the side.

Just as she began to process those words, her door flew open, and a man she had never seen before walked in. He had the same outfit on as Goru and Marvo, and seemed pleased with his view as he strolled on over to the girl, leaving the door open.

"Ah, this one's still in here!" He called back. Kagome realized that they must be making sure none of the priestesses have escaped, although she was not sure why. Did this mean that these exterminators were investigating the existence of slavery in this kingdom. A glimmer of hope shined in her eyes.

"And ain't she a pretty one." That glimmer quickly faded as she realized he was getting closer and closer to her, "I get tired of always seeing these ugly, old priestesses. But ain't I lucky to see a sight like you."

He moved until his body hovered over hers, his shadow laying on her skin. He took in the sight of her breast and traced his fingers around her collar bone. Kagome bit her lip, scared of what this man was capable of. She had been groped before, but she did not know this man, nor did she know how far he was willing to go.

His hand began to lower, grazing against her bare side until he reached her thighs. He squeezed tight, letting his breathing get heavier and heavier. He chucked as he begun to see her tremble with fear, but he didn't stop. Both hands traveled to squeeze her ass and she shut her eyes as tight as she could. The feeling of his hands gripped on her caused her body to shiver and his massaged it with a sloppy grin on his face.

"Oh yeah..." He whispered as his erection poked at Kagome, "I need to take you..."

The violation began to cause tears to form in the priestess's eyes, as she mentally begged and begged for it to stop. His body seemed to suck out her soul through the pores of her skin until she was empty.

His fingers moved until they were pressing on the cloth that protected her womanhood. He moaned a bit as he pressed harder, wondering what she was like underneath.

"...Hey! Quit fooling around in there!" A loud voice boomed, interrupting the man, who turned around angrily.

"I'll be quick!"

"Get your dumbass out here and finish this damn job! You can have the bitch later!"

With that, both of his hands dropped to his sides, but he scanned Kagome again before grinning, "I'll be back."

He walked out and slammed the door, leaving her to deal with the situation in silence. She began to hyperventilate as the feeling of his dirty hand against her womanhood still lingered. She had never wanted to die more than she ever did in this moment.

"Please help me..." Her words were barely audible as hopelessness had manifested itself in her throat, drying up her insides. She was as limp as a doll and as defenseless as an infant. Would he really be back? Would he still have access to her cell after the inspection? If there was a God, she was praying that he wouldn't. She didn't mind dying a virgin if it meant that his hands never touched her again.

She didn't have it in her to even cry, anymore. In fact, her eyes were as dry as a desert, but they remained wide open even as they began to sting from the lack of moisture. She realized that she was so numb, she was losing control over her pulsing body. Fatigue overtook her.

 _But if I sleep, will I wake up to him coming in to steal me?_

She couldn't sleep. The girl promised herself she would remain away until her bones collapsed within her.

* * *

"Well, that wasn't too difficult." Inuyasha mumbled as he finished putting on his metal helmet. Below him was a dead fire demon, stripped down until all that was left was his underwear.

After wasting time trying to find armor laying around that he could steal, he realized the only ones around were the decorative armor that someone would surely see him taking. So, instead, he found a small closet and waited for an armored guard to walk buy. Luckily, the man was holding the helmet in his arms as opposed to wearing it. He took him into the closet and slashed his head open without denting any of the armor.

"Keh, wish I felt bad for doing that..." But of course, the half-demon didn't. Any elite in this castle was guilty by his standards. He looked around and noticed spices, boxes, and other random objects. He knew the spices would be good for hiding the scent of the demon's blood. Although he wasn't too concerned, as fire demons didn't have as good of a sense of smell, anyways.

Still, he poured the strong spices over him and hid him under the boxes before walked out of the closet, feeling proud. Still, he did not really know where to go at this point, after all, he hadn't located any stairs to different floors.

 _Well shit. I don't have much time._ He thought angrily. He didn't know what Sango was doing in there, but he knew that if he didn't hurry up, she'd run out of ways to stall him before a battle ensued. There was no way to know how strong these demons were.

He rushed around, his feet moving as quick as they could without arousing suspicion. So far, none of the fire demons he passed gave him a second look.

It was then that he saw Goru strolling around.

 _That stupid old man... what could he be up to?_ He questioned the tan fire demon before deciding to follow him. There was no question that he was up to something. The look in his eyes gave it all away.

Inuyasha remained fifteen feet behind him at all times to avoid any confrontation, although something told the hanyou that Goru wouldn't say anything to a soldier, anyways.

Goru stopped at an average looking, wooden door. His hands rubbed together slyly before he opened it up and went inside. From Inuyasha's viewpoint, he could see that there were stairs beyond the door, and knew that this was his best shot at finding anyone.

With Tessaiga still on his side, replacing whatever sword used by these soldiers, he waited a few minutes before going in.

The walls beyond the doors were stone and gray, creating a cold and empty atmosphere. The hanyou noted that the stairs were spiraling downwards, but he couldn't pinpoint what was below him. So he began the journey to the bottom, looking for any clues as to what he might end up finding.

 _This place is as gloomy as the king himself!_ He half-joked to himself, still actively keeping track of his surroundings. A group of men were also walk up the stairs, discussing something about a complete inventory check.

"Let's report the good news to the king...I wanna get back down here." One man spoke, his tone callous. However, once the men spotted Inuyasha in his disguise, they all made room for him to pass out of respect. It was a sweet relief to know none of these demons were going to question him.

He strutted passed them and continued down.

When he reached the bottom of the staircase, the sight of cell doors took over his senses. Only a few men were strolling around.

 _I need to see who's in these cells... If this is just a normal dungeon, there's not reason to start a fight right now._ He thought before slowly approaching on the doors. There was a small lock on one, but he knew that, with his claws, breaking it off would be no problem.

He removed the glove from his right hand, looking around to make sure no one was looking, and with one quick swipe, the lock was broken. He opened the door, the suspense eating away at his skin.

When he peeked inside, he stopped at the sight of a barely dressed woman chained to the wall, looking up at him with an expression of hopeless indifference. She was probably in her late 20's and looked very small and malnourished.

He quickly entered the cell, closing the door behind him and approached the woman with caution, "Are you...a priestess?"

She just stared, though. She couldn't understand why a soldier would ask her that. It hadn't dawned on Inuyasha that she still sees just the disguise. So he raised his helmet off of his head to reveal his silver hair and dog ears. The woman gasped.

"Are you a priestess?" He asked again, a little more compassionately.

She nodded ferociously, "Yes! I've been trapped here for years!"

And that was it. That was all Inuyasha needed to hear.

"Keh, don't worry then. I'll be right back." He said, as pulled Tessaiga from its sheath and ran back out of her cell. As the fire demons around him noticed his exposed face and large sword, they all stood in shock and fear, pulling out pathetically small swords to defend themselves.

But they didn't stand a chance. Inuyasha slaughters the lot of them in no time, feeling nothing as their dead body decorated the floor.

"King Ninken made a mistake by only leaving you weak bastards down here." He barked, knowing that many of the guards must be up there picking up the slack since the slaves couldn't do their usual jobs.

He ran back into the cell, putting Tessaiga back in his sheath, and quickly used his claws to break the woman's chains.

"Oh, thank you!" She cried out in delight, "I will be forever grateful."

"Just follow me for now." He said in a low voice, "I'm gonna free everyone down here."

He continued breaking into cells and freeing the women from their prisons, each overwhelmed with their freedom. Many were crying and holding each other, but they all made sure to stay close to their heroic half-demon.

That's when he ran across Goru exiting one cell that had an odd red mark on top of the door.

Inuyasha took no time to catch him as the door was shutting behind the fire demon. He pulled him by his shirt.

"You pathetic, fucking bast-" Right before the door shut, he had caught a glimpse of a familiar face behind the door. With Goru still helpless in his grip, he moved him aside and opened the door with a slam. Feeling eager and also scared to see if his eyes were now failing him.

When he his eyes met with hers, the world stopped moving. It was like the entire world around them faded into darkness, but it was okay because her eyes were shining bright enough to light up the way to her.

"I-Inuyasha?" She questioned her own sanity at this point. Could he be real? Or was she the victim of a cruel illusion. No, there was no way he could be fake. Even in her wildest dreams, his eyes were never as pure gold as they were right now.

"No... Kagome... How..." His mind was racing as billions of questions appeared like new stars in the skies, but he couldn't make sense of any of them. He felt like his body was slowly turning into liquid and melting to the floor like the wax of a lit candle. It was in that second that she would bestow upon the sound of her sweet voice once more.

"You...found me." Her words wrapped around his body and caressed his insides, grazing against his soul like the touch of warm fingertips. She simultaneously startled and comforted him to the point of forgetting where they were and how long it has been since he's been able to gaze upon her face.

There was never a time before this where Inuyasha felt that he would collapse at the sight of something. There was never a time where he remembered turning this pale. In already a few seconds, they had created an eternity of their own as they marveled in the existence of the other. It was in that merciless gaze that Inuyasha contemplated the existence of fate and whether or not his would be to stand at this door, taking in her eyes forever.

"Let go of me, half-breed." Goru's voice shattered the space they resided in and brought them back to the cruel reality, reminding Inuyasha that the older demon still was stuck in his grip.

And he hated him. It only took a second for the half-demon to slam his head so hard against the wall that blood poured out from his head and when he was dropped to the floor, he remained there, just gasping for air until he died.

The other priestesses seemed confused, but they just watched as the hanyou approached the still chained woman, with soft intent blazing in his eyes. Was it her who started that flame? Or was it something that had been hidden since her departure? He didn't care. He needed her. He needed answers. He needed to know she was real.

He quietly used his claws to break the chains from her wrists and looked down at the broken scraps of metal that remained, and knew that those scraps were all the remained of her imprisonment as well. He had found her.

With that, her body fell into him, her head against the cold armor. But the warmth beneath reached her skin and she was perplexed at the realization that she could feel refreshingly cool and comfortably warm at the same time.

"You...You're here." He managed to choke out of his throat, forgetting how to think as her hair flowed against him.

"Never leave me." And she burst into salt water tears that continued to waterfall down her face into a small puddle on to the floor. She could cry now. He refilled her dry eyes. And still, she couldn't conceive that he was here before her. It was impossible to feel all the ways she was feeling. So, instead, she shut down into this numb sensation.

"I promise."

 **Well, I know I left it off at the good part, but I hope you all liked this chapter! Let me know how I did! I'm eager for reviews! I hope to update soon!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Questions**

 **Thank you all for the awesome reviews! They really motivate me to keep going. I hope you all enjoy this chapter as well!**

 _It was about that time where Kagura was instructed to bring Kagome her meal. She strutted down, awaiting the time she was able to spend with her dear friend._

 _However, she didn't expect the door to explode right before her. In a flash, wood scattered about, leaving nothing in view but a glowing priestess. The demon woman fell back, confused and nervous as to what her friend had just done. But as her eyes laid themselves upon the girl, she knew that Kagome had just claimed her freedom._

 _"You... did it!" Kagura's heart raced, feeling proud and upset at the same time as the girl stepped out into the hallway. She wished she could have prepared for this, earlier. Here this girl was with her pulsing aura surrounding her, ready to jump back into reality. Was she ready to lose Kagome? That was a question she didn't want to confront right now. She knew that she was going to free her. She believed with all of her heart that the priestess deserved that._

 _"Kagura..." She whispered back to the demon, looking apologetic to see the woman on the floor, but still knowing there was not much time. Kagome needed Kagura to open the portal now before Naraku came. If he saw what Kagura was doing, he would surely kill her._

 _"You have to do it! You have to do it now!" Kagome desperately called out to the woman, wishing she had more time to say a better goodbye. But when the power possessed her so suddenly, she didn't know if she would ever be able to summon it again, prompting her to take a chance and break out of the room._

 _Kagura stood up, understanding the hurry and walked over to the nearest door, while her friend followed. They just faced each other for a second, realizing that this meant that they had to be enemies out there until Kagura was free. In the real world, their closeness could not be exposed for the demon's sake._

 _It had been minutes that they just watched the other, Kagome feeling guilt pulling at her. She wanted to take the demon with her. She needed her. Everything she was now was because of her. In those minutes, Kagome pondered space, God, and other phenomena and knew that there were many things in the world that couldn't be answered. But the one that bothered her the most right now was if she would ever be with this woman again. If she would be able to stand by her. Because of the glowing energy that surrounded her body, she couldn't even reach out to touch her without hurting her._

 _"Am...Am I selfish for leaving you like this?" She blurted out, feeling overcome with how sad this departure turned out to be._

 _But the red-lipped woman shook her head, "You? Selfish?" Her voice was soothing, "You've been trapped in the same room for over a year and yet you stop to wonder if leaving is selfish?"_

 _"But...You'll be alone." Kagome protested, almost as if she wanted Kagura to tell her to stay. They could wait until Naraku was destroyed and leave together._

 _"I understand why you're leaving..." She spoke delicately to her weeping friend, "And I know that you are not leaving me. You are leaving your prison. You are leaving this hell. I take no offense. I want you to be free."_

 _And yet, Kagome just wanted this final moment with her to stretch out and last a lifetime. Just staring into her scarlet eyes was all she needed. And Kagura knew it, too. She knew deep down that if she asked her to, Kagome would remain in her prison._

 _But it was in that moment that the demon's heightened senses twitched and she knew something bad was coming._

 _"I can sense him..." Kagura whispered, "Naraku is slowly coming this way." Her words burst their little bubble and she knew that it was time to open the portal._

 _"I will be with Inuyasha..." Kagome whispered halfheartedly, almost as if she was using that fact as a form of comfort to herself. But as she said his name, Kagura remembered a horrifying fact that she had yet to tell her friend._

 _"No... you can't!" Kagura quickly responded, "Naraku will only have one mission if he sees you with that half-demon...He'll kill you. Even if it means he dies as well." Kagome blinked._

 _"Hide...please." Kagura almost begged the girl not to go back to him, now. She couldn't let Naraku kill her. She would never forgive herself if she died._

 _Kagome shook her head. Was she just supposed to be alone? All this time she had clung to the thought of Inuyasha. The thought of feeling his skin and embracing him. Where was she supposed to go?_

 _"Please..." Tears fell down the demon's cheek, "Don't die... Promise me you'll stay hidden. Promise me you'll survive."_

 _Seeing her friend's worry bring her to tears brought water to the girl's eyes as well. The cold exterior that the demon woman flaunted for so long was melting before her eyes. She knew deep down that it wouldn't be worth it to find Inuyasha now if she would just die. How could she even think of throwing her life away like that? Seeing Kagura now, she knew she had an obligation to live. She was going to be free. It would be a slap in the face to waste this._

 _"I...I promise." It was with those words that she remembered the time where Kagura had told her that her heart was guarded somewhere by a corrupted jewel shard. She had explained that the jewel was so corrupted that only an immense purification power would be able to overcome it and free her heart. It was something that stuck with the priestess since she had been told about it._

 _Kagura began chanting some sort of spell to herself with her hand on the door, and Kagome marveled at the white light she could see peeking out from behind it. When she was done, she opened the door and motioned the girl to walk through. But a feeling of desperation washed over the priestess in her last moments in the castle._

 _"I'm gonna get stronger for you..." Kagome cried out, "And...And I'm gonna find your heart!" She took her first step into the light, still looking back at the shocked demon woman._

 _Kagura grabbed her hand, burning herself in the process. "Kagome..." It was all she could force out of her throat. With that, she pushed the girl through the light and shut the door. The light quickly faded and she fell to the floor, holding her burning hand. There was blood dripping onto the floor, now._

 _The girl traveled through the light, playing back the sound of Kagura saying her name over and over and coming to a rather peculiar realization as time and space pulled and tugged at her._

 _Her name sounded so beautiful with Kagura's voice wrapped_ _up in it._

* * *

The freed women marveled at this open display of affection that was taken place before them, as Inuyasha held Kagome in his arms. They didn't even care that Goru's head was outpouring with blood on the ground below them. It had been forever that they had felt anything remotely good, and from where they were, the storm of emotion swirling in front of them was one of the most beautiful sights they'd ever seen.

Kagome's heart was working overtime, and she was sure that at any moment, it would pop out of her chest and into Inuyasha's. That's where she knew it belonged anyway. That's where it would be the happiest.

When they reluctantly let go of each other, knowing it was time to get out of this dungeon, the hanyou's mind was overloaded with questions, but just as he was prepared to ask, he was silenced by the sight of her eyes staring intently into his. He opened his mouth in an attempt to say something, but words retreated back into his head. How could he speak?

"We should get out of here..." Her voice was barely audible, but he could hear her. His ears twitched as they took in her sound like it was the magnificent flowing notes from an angel's harp. His mind hadn't quite processed what she said exactly.

"T-These poor women... are waiting to be released..." She spoke again, while the hanyou's face held the same expression of someone who had just seen a ghost, still marveling in her existence.

He stepped away from her, his gaze unfaltering. He felt ashamed for not being able to find her sooner. He saw her dressed in the same revealing uniform as the others and his stomach churned as he thought of all the things she may have had to endure here. All the ways she was abused. The scars on her body disgusted him in ways he's never felt before.

Kagome noticed him staring her down in awe. It was not hard for her to figure out that he was not being perverse, but rather just still in shock. Yet even so, part of her still felt so odd to be seen by him like this. Most of her thighs were out on display, and her perky breasts were being held high by the metal brassiere in place. Her cleavage was not so well hidden either. She felt like the innocent schoolgirl she once was under his gaze, wanting to cover all of the important parts of her that a man shouldn't look at. But she didn't.

He was just seeing the years he had missed in her appearance. Her face was thinner, her hair was longer, and her cheekbones protruded outwards more than they had when she was younger. Without even thinking in a sexual manner, he could even acknowledge that her figure was that of a grown woman as well, and while most men would have been captivated by the looks of her, the changes in her appearances just made him feel more guilty for not being able to witness it all. To have been with her as she aged so gracefully.

It was a reminder of how long she'd been gone from his life. And from their little group.

She was not ignorant to these changes either. When she last saw him, the hanyou was just a teenager. Now, he was a grown man, with a harsher jawline and more defined and rough features. Despite five years not being that long for demons, he had still surprisingly changed a significant amount.

"Stay behind me." He whispered, his voice low and demanding. All the woman could do was agree and the two finally began to leave her former cell.

"Oh, hero," One of the other priestesses exclaimed, "What shall we do now?" All of their eyes traveled back and forth between him and Kagome, whose body was practically pressed against his back as he walked forward.

"Just follow me."

* * *

"I, King Ninken of the Kingdom of Northern Fire Demons, will be testifying against Eli, Matsu, and Koto." Sango's eyes widened as she realized that she was up against the one man the jury would most definitely agree with no matter what. There was absolutely no way that she would win this trial, even if her case was more logical.

The jury was made up of ten fire demons, mostly male, and it had taken no more than twenty minutes for them all to be assembled since a trial was requested by none other than Sango herself. And all eyes were on her as she still stood her ground against the great king. Although, she could hear snickers coming from the crowd. She knew that they already doubted her because she was a human and a woman.

"I am Sango, _successful_ demon-slayer, and I will be defending Eli, Matsu and Koto." She spoke loud and firm, narrowing her eyes at the king who was already accustomed to her unfavorable opinion of him. She was ready to stop the king from killing these three innocent boys.

The gossiping continued as the jury all watched her in complete awe, almost as if they couldn't even fathom that someone would stand to testify against the king in his own castle. Her hiraikotsu was right behind her back, almost as if she was prepared to fight the king at any moment. Although, she knew that, by herself, it'd be one difficult fight given that the room was full of demons.

 _Even if I have no chance in this trial, at least there's a chance Inuyasha will free the slaves before these three boys get executed._ She thought, letting a small sigh escape her lips. She was counting completely on her half-demon friend.

"Alright, Sango." The king began, "State your case."

Now, there was only silence filling the throne room, the kind of intimidating silence that dominates until the bravest of them can speak up and break it. The demon-slayer cleared her throat, reminding herself to stand tall. And to take up as much time as she could.

"These young men before me are accused of several attacks on innocent human civilians in neighboring villages." Her loud and strong voice commanded the attention of all in the room, "But these claims are based on no solid evidence, therefore making execution a dishonorable course of action."

The jury leaned in, now curious as to how the women might proceed. The three defendants were watching from the sides, their hands still tied behind their backs. Their expression still told stories of fear and worry, but not of hopelessness.

Sango knew that she had to find some way to appeal to the jury. However, she didn't know what attributes these people valued. She would continue to try to appeal to their sense of honor, but given their indifference to slavery within this kingdom, she questioned whether or not they would really have any problem with dishonor.

"I believe that _justice_ in this case is what all of us are hoping to get." She continued, unsure of where to take this, "However, how can there be justice if we execute men without a real and true investigation? Actions like that speak to the kingdom's intelligence and ability to be thorough and precise."

 _Justice, intelligence, and precision...One of those must appeal to those jury members, right?_ She thought bitterly, not knowing how low these demons could be.

King Ninken just leaned back in his chair, amused by her level of effort. He couldn't fathom why she would still take herself seriously after knowing she'd be against him. Did she really think she had a chance? It was all almost laughable to him. He didn't mind staring at Sango, anyways. She was such a sight to see that if she had been born a fire demon, he would have surely made her his queen.

"Before we can assess the likelihood of them being guilty, we must take into consideration the factors that must exist for the crimes to take place." Sango sighed, not knowing if she was doing well, "They must be strong enough to venture down the mountain to attack these people, they must have the free time for the long journey, and there must be some sort of motivation that would drive them to commit these violent acts."

"I am going to stop you right there." The king chuckled, holding a condescending tone, "All demons in my kingdom are capable of surviving a trip down the mountain. And would have no issues killing a _human._ "

Part of the woman wanted to throw her boomerang at the man for interrupting her during her time to explain her position, but she knew better. She would have her chance if she remained patient.

"You said it yourselves that they're pathetic and weak, did you not?" She questioned, crossing her arms. She had to admit, she thought that, despite her extreme disadvantage, she was doing a decent job defending those poor boys, "Not to mention, strength is just one criteria."

The king's smile faded as she spoke. He couldn't believe that she would dare try to use his own words against him, "Just because they are weak in comparison to my stronger men does not mean they are as weak as the average human. And I doubt that they have any important duties that require their attention all the time. They are unimportant demons. And it's not uncommon for demons to loathe humans, you fool."

His babbling only made Sango more confident. It was clear that he was relying on his influence rather than true logic and solid evidence to win this case. Nothing he was saying was real evidence. He didn't even know what these boys did daily.

"Excuse me, King Ninken." One boy spoke, "We tend to our animals and wouldn't have time to go down the mountain and to villages to kill people. Our mother is sick. We are busy all day just to afford her medicines."

The small, shaky voice echoed through the room and the demon-slayer was in awe. Not only are these impoverished teenagers, but their mother is sick? Sango could not believe that King Ninken would pick these boys as sacrifices for him.

"Shut up, arrogant vermin!" His loud voice clearly displayed his impatience and frustration at the situation. His eyes were digging into the poor boys' skin like knives stabbing at them, "Criminals do not get to speak up whenever they please."

"Keh, well then I guess you better shut the hell up, bastard."

Everyone in the room turned their gaze over the doors where Inuyasha was walking in, who was followed by an unsure Kagome, still in her priestess uniform. He had shed the armor, knowing that he'd be best fit to fight without all the unnecessary weight.

The half-demon's eyes gleamed with anger and hatred towards the king who had enslaved Kagome for so long. He felt his inner demon pulsing within him, like a second heartbeat. He wanted to let it loose. He wanted the king's blood. But he knew he couldn't. Not around Kagome.

Sango's expression looked both horrified and overwhelmed and her head ached as her eyes met with the girl she thought she would never see again. She swayed a bit as her balance betrayed her for a moment, and she was sure she would crash down to the ground immediately.

 _How could she be here right in front of me?_ She thought for a moment, before snapping back to reality. The demon-slayer was rarely one to let her guard down for too long. She knew that, after this was taken care of, she'd be able to get all of her burning questions answered

"H-He's with one of the priestesses!" One of jury members called out, frantically pointing at Kagome, who kept her eyes on the ground. She had never walked into this throne room without permission. She had _never_ looked the king in the eyes as a free girl. But his presence still made her feel like a slave. Had he overpowered her to the point where, even with her fierce protector, she could not feel free?

The others in the court looked terrified and whispers about the prophecy began to ensue among the crowds who had planned on seeing a harmless trial. But now, it was clear that the trial would not go on any longer.

"You..." King Ninken stood in his seat, "Where are the other priestesses!?"

"Keh, I _freed_ them." Inuyasha barked, pulling out Tessaiga, "I killed all the men who were guarding their cells. I killed all the guards outside so the women could leave. And I will kill you."

All soldiers in the room readied their weapons, holding up blazing swords and some even shooting flames from the tips of their fingers. All of them were focused on Sango and the Inuyasha, although none of them were truly prepared.

Many fire demons lunged forth at the half-demon, but as swords were swung and blazing fire was shot, Inuyasha jumped into the air at great speed. Everything was slow motion to him now. Adrenaline had already taken over, like high quality fuel, and dodging these attacked became so instinctive, that he was in the air before he even knew it.

"WIND SCAR!" With that, Inuyasha slaughtered most of them, allowing his sword to burst with immense demonic energy that annihilated anything that touched it. His wrath connected with the Tessaiga, powering it up, as if they were one soul.

This worried King Ninken, who watched his men's blood coat the walls like fresh paint.

 _I knew that these warriors were supposed to be of great power... But I did not expect this..._ He thought anxiously.

Sango was battling the likes of some soldiers as well, using her boomerang to decapitate many of them. She swung it through the air with great force and the men could not evade it in time. Things were not looking good for the king. The young boys cowered in the corner. Defenseless members of the jury began to run, knowing their demonic abilities were no match for the half-demon and the demon-slayer. The smell of death dominated the room, and if he didn't do something fast, King Ninken would soon add to that foul scent.

It was then that he gazed upon the covered up priestess, who was completely useless in this battle since her powers could not be of use, and if she had been coordinated enough to engage in hand to hand combat at one point, her lack of practice surely led to the sharp decrease in that skill. She was watching Inuyasha earnestly, wishing that she could help him. Ninken could see the passion in her eyes as she witnessed the battle before her.

"...My dear Kagome..." Her eyes immediately traveled to meet with the king's, but as they did, they widened in horror. Everything about him made her weak. His glare was like an invisible force pushing down on her until she was small and pathetic. Even though she had been freed, she could feel the chains that previously bound her still pressing against her wrists.

At that moment, his eyes turned a fiery blue, causing a blue aura to consume the priestess. She screamed out in desperation, as her internal spiritual energy betrayed her and immense pain built in her head. It shifted from burning hot to freezing cold and all of her senses seemed to disappear. She couldn't see. She couldn't think. She couldn't even breath.

Inuyasha immediately turned at the sound of her screaming. When he saw the blue aura that surrounded her, he knew King Ninken was behind this.

"Leave her alone, dammit!" Inuyasha shouted, readying his sword to attack, "WIND SCAR!"

King Ninken dodged the attack with ease, still keeping his hold on the girl, who fell down to her knees in pure agony. This was the mental torture all the women had grown to fear above all else. It was a spirit crusher. Her body seemed to turn into glass and crack like a statue.

"Drop your weapon, Inuyasha. Only then will I release her." A sneaky grin had formed onto his face while his eyes were still flaming. Just watching her struggle to survive made him feel like the most powerful in the room.

The hanyou contemplated abiding by his rules, but there was no guarantee that Kagome would be left alone if he did. His sword was stronger than his normal demonic powers, and if he was going to kill King Ninken today, he would need it.

"If you think this sword isn't going to send you straight to hell..." Inuyasha growled from the depths of his throat, "You've got something else coming!"

He jumped into the air and continued forward to the direction of Ninken, who let flames escape from his palms. Inuyasha dodged them, but barely. The demon king revealed a long and thin sword from his side and the two began to clash their weapons against each other.

Sango finished off the last of the fighting soldiers and noticed the three boys left in the room. She ran over to them, "Get outta here, alright?" While she was more than likely to assume all the higher ups in this kingdom were guilty of the slavery that had taken place, she knew that these boys were just victim's of the corruption here. They didn't benefit from it at all, clearly, nor were they even active in the kingdom's politics.

They all nodded at her and stayed close to the walls as they made their escape. However, just as they made it to the door, it opened up, with someone on the other side.

"Miroku!" Sango called out as the monk stepped in, shocked to see the battle that was at hand. From the looks of it, their odds were pretty good, and he began calculating how long it would take Inuyasha to finish him off and if he even needed any help at all.

But his mind quickly stopped when he saw the woman kneeling in pain, the blue aura surrounding her. Her back was facing him, so he was oblivious to who exactly this woman was. All he knew was that it seemed she was the last priestess remaining in the kingdom. He had seen the lot of them running down the mountain.

The boys slid by him and kept running, but Sango quickly went to greet the monk.

"Sango, why did this woman not escape with the others?" He questioned, noting her pain and agony. It hadn't dawned on the demon-slayer that Kagome's face had not been exposed to him yet.

"Listen Miroku, that's K-" She was quickly interrupted.

"Nevermind who she is..." He explained, "I know how to break the spell that suppresses the priestess's powers." With his announcement, Sango leaned in to hear more. She knew that if they could break that spell, Kagome could fight back against King Ninken.

"On the back of his throne, there should be a large crystal. It's the source of the spell." He spoke clearly and deliberately, watching King Ninken as he explained, knowing that it would be best if they could lure him away from his throne, "While outside, I heard some of the villagers discussing it. They didn't want the prophetic strangers to find it or this kingdom would be doomed."

"Prophecy..." Sango pondered what a prophecy had to do with them, "Now, that you mention it, when Inuyasha entered, some of the fire demons began whispering about a prophecy right before the battle! I wonder what it could mean..."

"I guess we'll have to wait to figure all of that out." He insisted, although, there was something suspicious about everything, "I'll go to throne. You make sure King Ninken doesn't look my way."

Both the king and Inuyasha were completely enveloped in their battle, but Ninken was still able to keep enough concentration on Kagome to maintain his attack on her. And while the fire demon didn't pay any mind to Miroku when he entered, due to him putting all of his focus on the half-demon and the priestess, there was a chance that he'd notice once the monk got close enough.

There was only one thing Sango could think to do.

"Hiraikotsu!" She called out before launching her boomerang in the direction of battle, making sure not to hit Inuyasha. However, the king was able to dodge it just in time, tearing his attention away from the hanyou, and focusing more on the demon-slayer. His eyes narrowed in on her, while his nose scrunched up a bit in anger. In that moment, he released Kagome from his attack, and she just remained on the floor, trying to catch her breath. Her hyperventilating caught the attention of Inuyasha, who watched her carefully to make sure she was okay.

King Ninken leaped into the air and reached ground right in front of Sango. By this time, hiraikotsu had returned to her and she was ready to face him. As he lunged at her with his sword, she jumped out of the way, throwing the boomerang back at him. When he was hit, he flew back, but immediately caught himself and the two continued to go back and forth while Miroku made it behind the throne.

"This must be it." The bright blue crystal was emitting a violet light around it that reeked of demonic energy. When the monk reached to touch it, and electric shock buzzed through his body and he realized that he could not destroy it with his hands. Instead, he took his staff and continually jabbed at it with all of his might. As it began to crack, he continued hitting it harder and harder until finally...

"What's...happening!?" King Ninken looked perplexed as a wave of white energy coursed through the kingdom. When it hit Kagome, her body began to feel heavy with all the energy that was being released. Miroku remained behind the throne, watching as all of the shattered pieces of the crystal turned to dust and disappeared.

It was in that moment that Kagome's body began to glow with a lavender aura. A cool, refreshing feeling rushed through her veins, like a cold glass of water on a hot and sunny day. Everything about how she felt was...amazing.

"M-My powers..." She whispered, immediately looking up to see the king watching her in horror. Her eyes were complete circles on his face, and jaw had fallen. He knew that he would not win this fight.

"Naraku!" He shouted, almost as if he was calling for help, "Naraku! I've failed!"

Everyone stopped in their tracks, not understanding why he would be calling for that man. No one had seen him in years, so why had this fire demon called his name as if he knew him.

"The prophecy!" Sango shouted, running over to the man, "Tell us about the prophecy!" Something in her knew that their long lost enemy had to do with everyone referring to them as prophetic.

When Miroku peeked his head out from behind the throne, ready to join the group, he was frozen at the sight of Kagome in her slave attire. Seeing her momentarily made him forget all about King Ninken.

"C'mon Miroku!" Inuyasha yelled out, walking over to the perfectly still king, who was now just awaiting his death, "You'll get your answers here."

Nodding in silence he joined everyone. Even the priestess walked over, her aura still shining around her. The king stayed silent for a bit, almost as if he was desperately scraping his brain for what to do now. His head was down, drooping low like a dying flower.

"I can make your death quick or painful." Inuyasha sneered at him, "So I suggest you start talking." The king looked up at him, inhaling deeply. He knew his best bet was to just tell them everything.

"I-I didn't know what to do. My kingdom was poor and my people were revolting against me. I needed some way to stop all of it. So I began kidnapping priestesses and enslaving them..." He began, "Priestesses are considered a disgusting form of humans... And they worked diligently. Using their minds to torture them was also an effective method of keeping them in line. The free labor calmed the civil disorder."

The hanyou snarled at him, wanting to slice his head off right there and then, but knew he had to wait until he finished explaining everything. They needed to know what Naraku had to do with this.

"I didn't think anyone outside of the castle knew about the women... They were all kidnapped at night with no witnesses. But then a half-demon named Naraku appeared to me, inquiring about it." He paused to take a breath, his eyes shooting towards Kagome, "This was over a year ago. He asked me to make a deal with him. I'd kidnap and enslave one specific priestess and use whatever methods I have to try and corrupt her in exchange for a shard of the Shikon jewel. So, I did... And that priestess was Kagome. I kidnapped her quickly after, and my one fault was that I went personally to ensure that everything went well. I knew someone saw and recognized me."

"Naraku had told me and my men to be weary of you all. He said that, even with the powers of the jewel shard, you would be formidable opponents. He knew you would all come eventually. That is how you became the prophecy. Our elites and upper class knew you as the strangers who would end the kingdom." He sighed, "I had decided that I would avoid battle with you if I could and try to get you all to leave. I see now that this was inevitable. When I believed Kagome had been corrupted, I was instructed to call out to him. But, while she grew weak, her purity didn't falter...I have failed."

"So... Naraku put you up to this..." Kagome took a deep breath, but before he could speak anymore, she wrapped her hands around the fire king's neck, the skin disintegrating under her touch due to her powerful aura. He squealed a bit before his body began to turn to dust, swirling away into nothing. The tainted jewel shard fell on the floor. She knew she could have been able to sense it if her she had concentrated, but her method of killing him was effective as well.

They all just looked at her as her aura faded and a look of fatigue appeared on her face. Using her powers had drained her of most of her energy, but she still had enough to stand and face her confused friends.

"I...I still don't understand..." Miroku watched her carefully, "Who brought you back to life?"

"Huh?" Kagome eyebrows furrowed together, "Why would I need to be brought back to life?"

She watched as all three of her pals began giving her funny looks, but she couldn't understand why they would think that someone would have needed to bring her soul back. She knew that it would only be natural to have _assumed_ that Naraku killed her, but upon seeing her, they should have realized that she had always been alive.

"We saw you..." Sango whispered, "The night Naraku brought you to us, months after your capture. You were there and...and he killed you right before our very eyes." At the mention at her supposed death, Inuyasha's head drooped down a bit, as he was remembering the sword that had been shoved through her back, coming out through her chest. It had been the most heartbreaking sight.

"I don't know what you're talking about... Naraku never killed me." With that, she realized Naraku must have created a copy of her to trick everyone into believing that she was dead to prevent them from ever looking for her if she did manage to escape. He wanted to them lose hope.

"That monster..." She squeaked out. It was all because of him. He kept her trapped in that room in Kanna's mirror. He faked her death. He was the reason she had been enslaved in the first place. "He fooled all of us."

Kirara hopped onto Kagome's shoulder to comfort her as reality hit her strong. She had always thought that she had been unlucky to end up in this predicament, but it was all planned by that one man. All of her pain and suffering.

Inuyasha leaned in close to the woman, "Then...What did happen to you...?"

* * *

 _When Kagome was brought out of the mirror, she felt this overwhelming sigh of relief. Something about this fresh air made her insides experience a joy she hadn't felt in so long._

 _"So...she did it." A cold and light voice appeared from behind and Kagome turned to see Kanna, staring blankly at her. She did not seem as though she was going to react negatively, though. Her words implied that Kagura had revealed her plans to the small girl already, and that she had agreed to go along with it._

 _"I suggest you get moving before he comes." She said again, and Kagome nodded, realizing Naraku could pop out at any moment._

 _It didn't take her long to recognize her surroundings as being a cave, so she found the light and ran towards it until she was out in a beautiful field, with a forest visible in the distance. Although, she had no idea where to go from there, which made her tense up a bit._

 _"C'mon Kagome. Pick a direction and just go." She whispered to herself, "You can't risk being caught now." Standing around, waiting for something to guide her was useless, now._

 _So, she ran in a random direction as fast as she could until tall trees surrounded her. She made it to the forest, which would be easier to hide in if Naraku did try to find her. All she could do now was press onwards and hope that no danger was lurking around. There was no way of telling if she was going to able to conjure up her spiritual abilities now. In fact, her mind was already feeling drained ever since she made it out of the castle, which she attributed to her immense use of her power._

 _It didn't help that she had no destination, either. She wouldn't break her promise to Kagura to stay away from Inuyasha for now. Even though it broke her completely. And while she contemplated returning to her own time, she had also made the decision to find her friend's heart, no matter where it may be. Staying away from everyone she knew was a hard sacrifice, but it was one that she was ready to make for her freedom and for Kagura._

 _"In order to find that heart...my powers must get stronger..." That much she was sure of, "But how can I train?" She immediately thought of Kikyo, but she knew that the dead priestess would not train her in secret unless she knew why. And revealing Kagura's betrayal of Naraku was something she didn't feel comfortable with._

 _Her feet carried her through the forest, despite her uncertainty of where to go from here. She hadn't imagined this to be so hard. She had been craving the outside world since she was locked away, but now she wasn't even sure if she could handle it on her own._

 _Hours passed and she walked until sharp pain began overwhelming her feet. She paused, desiring a nice nap, but knowing that she couldn't have it. At least not for now. Naraku could appear at any moment, and she didn't want to be easy prey._

 _She eyed the distance, noticing what seemed to be an opening in the forest. Odds are, a village couldn't be too far from there. Bursts of energy pulsed through her body at the thought of being around other people. Maybe, if she was lucky, they would have somewhere for her to stay at least for a night._

 _So, despite the sharp pain that was spreading up to her calves like wildfire, she forced herself to move forward, vowing not to stop until she either reached a village or collapsed._

 _However, as it turns out, both happened at the same time. It had taken another hour of walking to reach a small village located next to a river, and as the girl entered, she fell to the ground._

 _"Oh dear, poor woman, what happened?" Older men and women surrounded her, worry lines crossing their foreheads. While Kagome was still conscious, she didn't have much energy to explain._

 _"I..need rest." She mumbled, her voice coarse and weak._

 _"Get the priestess! She'll know what to do!" One man shouted out, and a few villagers rushed out to the inner part of the village in a hurry._

 _"Don't worry, Sayu is a magnificent and powerful priestess who can help you recover." One woman whispered, hopefully. But only a few words caught Kagome's attention._

 _"...A magnificent and powerful priestess?" She thought quietly. The only worthwhile priestesses she knew of were Kikyo and Midoriko. Other priestesses seemed to be strong, but lacked that type of power. Could this woman really be above average, or were the villagers just saying that because she was their village priestess?_

 _As it turned out, she would have to wait to find out. The sharp pain in her leg reached upwards to the rest of her body, causing a total loss of strength. She took once last look at the surrounding villages before passing out._

 **Alright, that was quite the chapter. I'm not super great at writing fight scenes. So don't hate me for that. But, I decided to give a quick re-cap of the chapter in case anyone is confused. I know a lot happened.**

 **Present:** **  
-Inuyasha frees the rest of the slaves while Sango is beginning the trial, stating her case in defense of the three impoverished demon boys.  
** **-Inuyasha and Kagome interrupt the trial, revealing that the priestesses have been released, and a battle ensues. King Ninken begins mentally torturing Kagome, as well.  
** **-Miroku comes back from his journeys outside, unaware of Kagome, and reveals that there is a crystal on the back of throne which is the source of the spell that suppresses the priestesses' abilities.  
-He breaks that crystal, freeing Kagome's powers and ending the battle while King Ninken admits defeat and agrees to reveal the truth to the gang.  
-His story reveals that Naraku had instructed him to kidnap Kagome in exchange for a jewel shard, and also reveals that Naraku had warned him about Inuyasha and the others, which explains all the talk about a prophecy.  
-Overcome with rage, Kagome kills Ninken using her spiritual powers.  
-The others reveal that they had seen Naraku kill her, and it is clear that a copy of her was created to stop them all from trying to find. It ends with Inuyasha asking what really happened to Kagome.**

 **Past:  
** **-Kagome manages to conjure up enough spiritual energy to break through the barrier placed around her room. Kagura sees this and realizes she has to let Kagome go.  
** **-The two share a heartfelt moment as Kagura reassures Kagome not to worry about her.  
** **-Kagura tells Kagome of Naraku's plans to kill her if she escapes and makes her promise not to return to Inuyasha for her own good.  
** **-Kagome remembers the whereabouts of Kagura's heart and vows to get strong enough to retrieve it for her before being pushed through the portal Kagura had made.  
-After escaping the mirror, Kagome realizes she has nowhere to go, but presses on until she comes across a village where a supposedly strong priestess lives.  
-She falls to the ground from fatigue and villagers surround her, some going to get the priestess to help.  
-Kagome eventually passes out from fatigue.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed! Don't forget to _review!_**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Discoveries**

 **Before I write this one, I wanna once again thank everyone for all the support! I do love this fic and I love that there's just so much I can do with this!**

 **But I also wanna remind everyone that I might get a little OOC with Kagome. She's literally been through so much that there is no way I'd feel comfortable writing her back in like the giddy 15 year old she had been. But I also want to make this change as realistic as possible so she won't be a whole new person. I just wanted to pre-explain because I know how some people feel about OOC fics.**

 **Anyways, on with the show!**

Kagome had quieted a bit when Inuyasha had directly asked her for an explanation of what happened. She really didn't know how to begin her story. How does one calmly explain five excruciating years of their life? His question had made her bones stiffened into stone momentarily before Sango stepped in and told the hanyou that it was a story for another time.

And it wasn't like Inuyasha was one to pressure her to talk, now. He was a bit emotionally-dense at times, even after all the time that passed, but he wasn't a complete idiot.

Not to mention, he had enough on his mind to keep him in deep thought while he waited for Kagome to conjure up the strength to tell her story to them. While he had been able to still react while they were all in danger despite the jaw dropping discovery that Kagome was very much alive, now everything that had settled a bit, another wave of realization crashed over him, similarly to the way it had when he first made eye contact to her.

But this time, when the background faded, it was not him and Kagome who were left in their own little world. It was only him and his regrets. For years, he had been coping with his loss. And after long periods of sulking and cursing the world, he managed to continue onward, keeping the companionship he developed with Miroku and Sango, and even building a hut for himself back in Kaede's village for the times they traveled back. While thoughts of her would creep on him like poisonous insects, keeping him up at night, most people would say he had moved on quite well.

He had even managed to bring the news to Kagome's family back on the other side of the well. And while they cried for the loss of their sweet Kagome, Mama Higurashi assured him that he was still welcome back anytime. She had appreciated the adventure he had guided her daughter on during her time with him. He only returned a handful of times, though.

And while he was taking all the recommended steps to get over her death, she was out there, alone. Alive and suffering without her friends to be beside her. That means while he was enjoying chats with his companions, she was chained in a dungeon. While he was pushing her out of his mind, she was probably wishing for her rescue.

And that killed him.

They strolled down the mountainside in almost complete silence, wanting to leave the castle. Kagome had politely refused Inuyasha's offer to put on the robe to cover herself, so she trudged on in her slave attire. It's not like Miroku would take advantage of her outfit, anyways. And for some reason, accepting kind gestures had just become strange to her. Almost as if she was now conditioned to believe she didn't deserve them.

"We should probably return to the village to announce our victory." Miroku stated calmly, noticing the way his hanyou friend was consistently watching the priestess with an unfaltering gaze. His face held an unreadable expression, almost as if it were frozen on his face.

"Perhaps they'll let us stay the night. I think we could all use some rest." Sango bit her tongue, half-expecting the silver-haired man to bark back at the idea of resting while the sun was still heavy in the sky, but the only noise that could be heard from him was the soft inhale as he took in Kagome's scent every now and again.

Miroku agreed with the demon-slayers statement, but that was all that was said as they traveled down. Kagome took in some of the sights, being attracted to the towering trees and blossoming flowers that decorated the evergreen bushes. Part of her wanted to touch it to see if they were really there, but she restrained herself. It had been so long since she had even been outside.

It wasn't long before Kagome's body slowed down, though. She had still felt exhausted after straining her spiritual powers. Usually, her body was used to pushing past physical exhaustion given all of the chores she had to do in the castle, but even as she tried to keep up, her legs just wouldn't comply.

She didn't say anything, though. Not one complaint escaped her pink lips. But she slowly began to fall behind the group.

"Kagome, what is it?" Inuyasha called back, being the first to notice how she trailed behind. Her eyes had begun to close like the sun slowly setting on the horizon. But she didn't speak, just gave a weak smile.

He quickly ran to her, "If you're tired, why don't you just say so?" His voice was raspy, but still held a sweet tone to it., "I can carry you, if you want."

 _He's right... Why didn't I just say that I was growing tired?_ She thought, contemplating this uncomfortable feeling she had with speaking freely. When she was revved up with her spiritual aura surrounding her, she felt powerful and in control. But now that she was just a weak, human girl, she couldn't even build up the courage to express her needs.

"I guess I'm not used to speaking without being spoken to." She sighed, heavily. It was almost as if she consciously knew she was free, but felt King Ninken's malevolent gaze piercing down on her, stopping her from being able to act like a normal woman. The only time she had ever been able to stand up to him was when she was wrapped in her lavender aura.

"Keh, we ain't gonna punish you for opening your mouth." Inuyasha's mouth curved downwards into a frown. He knew she must have been silenced so many times, and even abused for speaking, "Let me carry you."

She nodded, looking softly up at him. He figured that she wasn't going to be able to jump onto his back, so he leaned down and lifted her up bridal style, giving her a chance to rest her head on his chest. She enjoyed being cradled like this after spending so many nights sleeping on the cold ground.

At the instance he lifted her, Kirara transformed into a fierce beast, and Sango hopped on, petting the golden hairs atop the beast's head. Miroku was also ready to run the rest of the way. They knew it'd probably be best if they got to town sooner, so that they could find some food and Kagome could rest.

So, they bolted, passing the trees so quickly that the environment had just become a blur of greens and browns. Though she had shut her eyes, Kagome could feel the wind pushing against her and tickling her skin. Thoughts and memories were forced out of mind and she just peacefully existed in his arms.

 _I am free. I am free. I am free._ The words bounced off of the walls in her head over and over again, lifting her spirits at least temporarily.

Inuyasha and the gang pressed forward at remarkable speeds. Dust from the path flying up behind them like clouds. He held the woman tighter and tighter in his arms as they got closer to the village, relishing in the feeling of her body so close to him. After coming down from the mountain, it was not much longer until they reached the village, and his feet continued to slam against the ground, charging forward.

"There it is!" Sango called out, pointing towards a wooden arch that stood in front of a bustling village. The demon-slayer assumed that they would be met with the rescued priestess of the village who would offer them a place to stay for all their hard work. However, as they reached their destination, all the villager's gazes were drawn towards the woman in the hanyou's arm.

"I-It's Lady Kagome!"

* * *

 _After fainting in front of the villagers, Kagome woke up to find she was lying down alone in a small hut, covered in a nice blanket. For a moment, she couldn't even remember what had happened. Her mind had awoken a year in the past, and she assumed she had gotten hurt and was in Kaede's hut getting better._

 _She sat up, holding her head, the blankets falling into her lap. It wasn't until a moment later that her time in Naraku's castle and her promise to Kagura hit her hard. She was alone and friendless in an unknown village. She knew no one._

 _Or at least that is what she thought._

 _"So, you're not dead after all." A familiar voice filled the room as the curtain covering the exit was pushed over. The pale face that had revealed itself stole the breath right out of Kagome's lungs and for a moment she couldn't bring herself to speak. The only thing that went through her mind was why._

 _"...Kikyo..." Kaogme's voice was soft and delicate as it traveled through to the woman's ears._

 _"What happened? And where is Naraku?" She didn't even seem interested in showing any sympathy to the girl, granted that was not out of the ordinary for the dead priestess. Her face was serious and emotionless._

 _"I-I escaped using my spiritual powers..." Ignoring the other question, she curiously eyed Kikyo, "What are you doing here anyways... Isn't a priestess named Sayu supposed to be here?"_

 _With that, Kikyo began closing the distance in between them one small step at a time, "I am Sayu. Or at least that is the name these villagers know me as."_

 _Kagome couldn't understand why Kikyo would lie about her name to these people. Was she trying to hide as well._

 _"I am seeking out Naraku, and an alias allows me to keep my whereabouts a secret." She explained, almost reading the girl's mind. They both watched each other carefully._

 _"Now, how long have you been free...?" The dead priestess leaned in, her tone almost interrogative._

 _"I came to this village right after escaping." Kagome rubbed her head, not knowing how much to tell Kikyo. She knew she didn't want to reveal that Kagura had helped her, or even that she had become close to the demon woman. While Kikyo was an enemy of Naraku as well, it was unclear of whether or not she could be trusted to never speak a word of it to anyone, and she was not going to take that risk._

 _"I assume you will be looking for Inuyasha." At the mention of his name, a shiver ran down Kagome's spine. How could she explain that she wouldn't be looking for him? In fact, she is going to be hiding from him._

 _A long pause came after Kikyo's question, which raised some suspicions. A quick yes would have been expected for a girl who has been separated from him and her friends for so long._

 _"No..." Kagome's answer made the dead priestess narrow her eyes at her, almost demanding an explanation, "I-I have to stay away from him. For my own good."_

 _That was quite the interesting answer to the older woman who hovered over her reincarnation. Inuyasha had played the role of her passionate protector and there was no doubt a mutual feeling of love and care between the two. It would have made more sense that she would feel safer by his side. And Kikyo would have obliged and helped her find him. Or at the very least send her in the right direction with weapons to accompany her._

 _"What do you mean you have to stay away from him?" The question was almost stated angrily, as if she couldn't believe that the girl was not ready to leap into his arms after so long._

 _"...I know that Naraku will kill me if I am seen with him. He has become obsessed with using me, and if he can't, he will make sure my abilities can't be used against him either." Kagome struggled not to mention her whole mission as well. In truth, she was not so much scared of her own death than she was dedicated to keep her word to Kagura._

 _"So, you cower in hiding while the ones you love most still grieve over your absence?" That comment hit Kagome a little harder than she expected. If anything, she would feel more selfish if she gave up on Kagura, who had no one by her side. Not to mention, if she were to die with Inuyasha, that would hurt him more._

 _"You know, that is quite the hypocritical statement, considering the fact that you stay away from him as well, knowing that it hurts him." The younger girl's tone turned dark, and effects of a time spent imprisoned was showing in her suddenly cold demeanor._

 _Kagome huffed again before continuing, "Don't accuse me of anything. I need Naraku to be defeated, and I can't do that if I run to Inuyasha and get myself killed. It is not easy for me to choose to be away from him. But I will return to him when I am stronger and can fight Naraku on my own."_

 _Kikyo's fists had been clenched as she was accused of hypocrisy. A grand priestess like herself? It was infuriating. But as the girl continued to explain her reasoning behind her decision to remain hidden, she began to understand her more. Kikyo, too, was completely dedicated to the cause of destroying Naraku. So much so, that she didn't spend much time entertaining her past life, or trying to build a good life._

 _"You've grown darker." She stated in response, "And you've already grown stronger as well. I respect your decision to not seek out your friends yet. But you must tell me where Naraku is hiding."_

 _This was a hard question, now. If Kagome reveals the whereabouts of Naraku's castle, he will know that she has been in contact with Kikyo. And if she knows, she may tell Inuyasha. This could lead Naraku to move locations, and make it harder to free Kagura once she finds her heart. Right now, Kagome could return to the castle once she had the demon's heart. But if she didn't know where they were, it could be a long time before she could free her._

 _"I-I don't know. I had been locked in a room that had a barrier on it that I couldn't break at first. Then, after trying to hone in my spiritual powers, I was possessed by massive amounts of energy. I remember breaking the barrier, but don't remember anything else besides waking up in a field and then finding this village." She felt bad for lying, and knew that Kikyo would be furious if she found out the truth._

 _"...Of course." Kikyo remained emotionless as she spoke. She had hoped after seeing Kagome here that she would have more valuable information. In fact, she was partially excited to hear about her experiences, but was disappointed, "How do you plan on becoming stronger?"_

 _"I don't know." Kagome sighed heavily. She had no idea how she would accomplish her goal. Part of her feared that she would have to train for years. A cool breeze entered the room and danced around the two._

 _But a small smirk appeared on Kikyo's face appeared, "I will train you."_

 _So she did._

 _And months passed quickly as Kikyo helped Kagome with her priestess powers, but she had also used Kagome to gather herbs and taught her a lot about medicine and healing. The fresh scents of nature had become something the younger girl looked forward to being surrounded by. Spending so much time outside was felt so surreal, even if she was just picking up supplies for her teacher._

 _Kagome had developed quite a lot of respect for Kikyo's skill, but during her time with her, she couldn't really say they had developed a good relationship. The dead priestess didn't talk much. She was very focused on providing Kagome with adequate instruction, so she remained very serious. Not that Kagome's minded this. She was pleased with her teaching. Her biggest priority was getting stronger in order to help Kagura, and she didn't want her desperation for social interaction to get in the way of that._

 _"You are doing well, Kagome." Kikyo snuck up on the girl, who was picking herbs,stepping silently with her petite feet. Despite the compliment, her expression was plain, with her mouth formed into a perfect line on her snow white face. It was a demeanor that the young girl had become accustom to, and she took her compliment with no grain of salt._

 _"Thank you. I feel stronger than ever." Kagome stayed focused on her task despite responding. Her long, black hair cascaded off of her head, and she pushed some strands away from her face, "I thought it would take longer to see these results."_

 _"I don't know if there is much else I can teach you." The dead priestess's declaration nearly shocked the girl into falling forward, but Kagome caught herself and turned over to see Kikyo staring at her with no sign of emotion in her face._

 _"Huh? Are you serious?" It didn't seem possible that Kagome was nearly as strong as the grand priestess herself. Kikyo had been training for years to get to where she was, so how could it be that, after a few months, Kagome had reached the same level of strength?"_

 _"I do not joke, girl." She replied coldly, before shaking her head, "Inuyasha is coming this way. I have heard travelers from the west talking about him and the others."_

 _This was something that send shivers down the girl's spine, like an internal earthquake that shook her to the core. Part of her wanted to wait for him, so that when he came, she could reunite after all of this time. She had gotten strong enough to defend herself against Naraku, so wouldn't it be safe to return to her friends and continue looking for Kagura's heart with them?_

 _"Thank you for telling me. I-I'm going to leave at dawn." She hesitated, not understanding why she wouldn't even contemplate the possibility of joining them once more. She had spoken without even thinking._

 _"Please, don't tell him I was here." She finished, before deciding to turn back to the village. Kikyo didn't follow, but rather just eyed her curiously as she went._

 _"I-Is my promise to Kagura really deterring me from Inuyasha?" She questioned, digging deep into her head to find out why it was that she wouldn't let herself be with him. He would help her free Kagura. She knew he would. Once they heard of Kagura's true desires, there was no way they would stop Kagome from searching for her heart._

 _The girl scrambled through her brain, picking at her thoughts mercilessly, until her search for answers got even more desperate, and she clawed at the surface of her thoughts until she could peel away enough layers to reach her true barrier to them._

 _"They all have some sort of reason to hunt Naraku. The longer it takes to destroy him, the more they hurt." She sighed, "Miroku risks being swallowed by his wind tunnel, Sango is forced to watch Kohaku suffer, and Inuyasha is constantly reminded of his failure to protect Kikyo. How could I ask them to focus on anything else besides the pursuit of that evil man?"_

 _Finding Kagura's heart was something Kagome wanted to dedicate herself to. She wanted to focus on continuing to grow in strength and begin the search. And this heart could be anywhere. She would have to freely travel the lands, trying to sense the corrupted jewel shards that guard the heart. And then she would have to hope that she was powerful enough to purify the shards._

 _"And I can't do that with them... even if they agreed to help... I can't expect that I would be able to dedicate myself to this with them." The harsh realization spilled forth from her mouth like a flood. Her feelings for Inuyasha and her friends were not less than her feelings for Kagura. But while her friends may miss her in her absence, Kagura's suffering is much more severe._

 _"Sometimes, you have to make the hard choices." Her legs carried her back to the hut where she stayed, "Naraku could dispose of her at any moment... Everyone else is just going to have to wait."_

 _She leaned against the wooden walls in the hut, the palms of her hands pressing hard into her her forehead. She felt so tired, but her eyes wouldn't close, even as the moon rose high in the sky. The warmth of her saltwater tears dragged down her face like clawed nails, but she didn't wipe them. She didn't even want to acknowledge the drops as the fell into a puddle on the floor. So, instead, she grabbed her bow and arrow and waited until dawn._

* * *

"Lady Kagome! Oh how we missed you!" At the call of her name, Kagome's eyes snapped open to see a hoard of familiar faces surrounding the group, their hands clasped together as if they were thanking God for her return.

The villagers cheered and praised the priestess, whose mouth stayed closed as if it were sewn together, not responding to any of the joyful people before her. But still, they all chanted her name, their voices mixing in to sound like a small choir.

"L-Lady Kagome?" Sango gasped, realizing that her dear friend was the woman these folks had asked for them to rescue. It also meant that Kagome had somehow been the priestess of this village. She had lived here for sometime after Naraku... And as the demon-slayer continued to think harder about it, the more it made sense. Ninken had said that, when he captured Kagome, it was the only time he was sure he'd been seen. Which means it would only make sense that the villagers who requested the freedom of the priestesses would be the ones who had seen Kagome get taken.

Inuyasha put the woman down, who stood unsure of how to go about this situation. She had refused to tell her friends about what happened to her after being held hostage by Naraku. She was not ready to tell them that she had purposely stayed away from all of them. Would they understand?

She had just been released from her torturous prison. Being hated by her friends, or even just disliked, was not something she wanted to risk. Not yet.

"Oh, we must celebrate!" One villager announced, earning even more cheers from the crowd. Kagome recognized this villager to be _Rey_. He was around 25 years old with slightly tanned skin and black hair that reached his shoulders, which he fastened into a ponytail a little longer than Miroku's. His hazel eyes and broad shoulders had made him quite popular with the women in town, but he had made it clear that he fancied Kagome.

He pushed past everyone, even Miroku, to get to the stunned woman still standing close to her hanyou companion. A lopsided grin adorned his muscular face as he was quick to take her hands into his own, leaning down so that their eyes were on the same level.

"Lady Kagome, our town's treasure. Come with these heroes and wait inside while we prepare a celebration on your behalf." He insisted, tugging at her slightly. Inuyasha had puffed his chest out at Rey's clear signs of affection towards the woman, but remained quiet. He wasn't going to start any problems so quickly after Kagome's release.

Miroku eyed Sango curiously, almost as if he was looking for approval of whether or not they would follow the villagers' wishes and wait to be celebrated, but Sango shrugged at him, decidedly taking a step forward. And as Rey pulled Kagome towards the inner part of town, the group followed suit, all uncomfortably looking around. This was not exactly what they had been expecting, but then again, they hadn't really known what to expect.

Kagome felt her feet stepping through this familiar path and noticed that not much had changed since she'd been gone. The old wooden shacks still stood tall, with the same tattered cloths acting as doors in front of the entryways. Children in common kosodes were running about, chasing each other through the village, dirt covering their faces as they laughed. Then curiously turned their heads to watch the group stroll on by, but reverted back to their games and activities shortly after.

A soft breath emitted from Kagome's lips, her eyes dashing downwards to her ground, watching the rubble move past her feet as eternity passed before her. The air was tangled with a feeling of nostalgia growing like vines and wrapping itself around her limbs. Some of her enjoyed the sweet relief of being back, but the other dreaded what was to come.

"You all can stay here." Rey announced as they approached a hut that was only slightly bigger inside than the rest, "I will prepare this special commemoration." His excited could be seen through the gleam in his round, hazel eyes, but he quickly retreated back to the villagers, leaving the gang to awkwardly enter silently.

Inuyasha continued to watch Kagome as leaned herself against the wall, slowly lowering her body until she was sitting down. Her thighs stuck out and she stretched her legs.

 _So... after Naraku, she ended up here. I guess I'm happy that she hadn't been constantly suffering throughout those five years... But I wonder why she never came looking for us._ He thought, while deciding to sit on the opposite wall to face her. He took in her scent again, which he had done numerable times since they'd left the castle.

 _Was she scared to go out on her own after being imprisoned by Naraku? ...I should have kept looking for her._ His golden eyes met with her momentarily, causing a wave of electricity to spark in his chest, almost like he had been struck with lightening. He admired her large, dark orbs and hoped to God she would be able to talk to him soon.

"We missed you very much, Kagome..." Sango began, startling the silence away with her well contemplated words.

But it was an understatement.

"I...I missed you all as well..." Kagome whispered, looking down and beginning to feel guilt, "I thought about you all a lot... I had hoped you would have settled down by now. I didn't think you'd still be traveling."

"Well, Naraku hasn't been seen in years." Miroku began, "And with his disappearance, we haven't been able to finish the jewel or..." His voice trailed off as he looked over to Sango, whose face had lowered so her gaze was focused on the floor.

"...Or save Kohaku." She finished.

Kagome blinked, momentarily processing what they had all said, "Wait... N-Naraku...disappeared?"

"Yup...That bastard hasn't been seen in three damn years." Inuyasha scoffed, recalling the frustration he's felt while trying to locate his enemy, "And all his damn incarnations are gone with him. Anyone who was connected to him just vanished."

A horrified look struck Kagome's face. Her eyes were wide and her skin had paled, much like that of an eerie ghost.

 _But... Then what happened to Kagura..._ Her thoughts echoed through her brain as she contemplated all of the possibilities. But the one that seemed to stick out the most was her death. If Naraku was vanishing, odds are, he wouldn't just let his suspected betrayer live. While he didn't know about her and Kagome's blossoming friendship, he surely knew that she hated him. It just didn't seem likely that, even if Naraku was alive, she would be after all this time of inactivity. He only kept her for her usefulness.

Everything became distant. The room began to stretch out and the woman's friends seemed to follow it in the opposite direction. Why was she feeling so lost all of a sudden.

"K-Kagome... are you okay?" The hanyou's voice brought her back, although still not fully quelling the panic that had risen beneath her skin.

"I...I just...We need to find him." Her shaky voice vibrated throughout the room, causing perplexed expressions to appear on everyone's faces. Their busy minds tried to calculate why she had suddenly seemed so emotional over the topic of Naraku's disappearance. She hadn't seemed to determined when Ninken had brought up his involvement in her kidnapping.

And that's when it hit everybody.

"Wait a second..." Sango spoke up, while everyone's eyes were drawn to her, "We haven't seen or heard from Naraku in three years. And no one that we've met along our travels has either... But Naraku had appeared to Ninken to ask him to kidnap you less than 2 years ago!"

This was their first breakthrough on their hunt for the evil demon in years. And suddenly, everything was making sense.

"Without me... He feared losing." Kagome continued, "...But he must have known that I wouldn't have been corrupted by him. So, he stayed hidden until he could figure out a plan to... use me." It was all making sense. She was the pawn in the game against good and evil that could decide the fate of the Shikon jewel. He had orchestrated Kagome's kidnapping by King Ninken and was the reason why the king had insisted on only using mental torture on her to break her down. And he must have been hiding nearby to ensure his safety until it happened.

"Ninken called out to him when he knew he was doomed." Miroku contemplated, "I had thought that he was just falling into a pit of despair, hopelessly shouting at nothing... But... now I am thinking that...Naraku might be hiding in the castle."

"Keh, I didn't get any whiff of him while we were there, even after you broke that crystal!" Inuyasha protested, knowing that he would not have missed the scent of the man he hated most in this world.

But something in Kagome's gut had begun to press into her insides, pushing the words out of the pit of her stomach, "Kanna's mirror!"

"Huh?" The rest of the group just stared at her, none of them understand what a mirror had to do with finding Naraku.

And the woman hadn't wanted to tell them about it, because then she would have to explain how she escaped. Could she even speak about her failure without her guilt clawing at her heart? She bit her lip nervously, her fist all balled up tight.

"H-He can use Kanna's mirror to create an otherworldly castle..." She anxiously spoke, "That's where he kept me."

* * *

 _The sun rose up slowly, almost as if it were shy in the presence of the burning sky. But as Kagome contemplated the mind of the sun, she knew it was time to take off, going east._

 _Kikyo had not come back to her hut to say goodbye. Not once in her long hours of waiting did the dead priestess come to say anything to the living one, almost as if she hadn't wanted to bother. Had she cared to say her goodbyes? Kagome didn't have time to question it. Kikyo had been a good instructor, and that is all Kagome had needed her to be._

 _Still, she looked back as the village faded from few, seeing no one in sight. But she had to press onward. Kikyo had to know that._

 _The dawn was displayed beautifully above, as oranges and pinks collided together like lovers in the sky. The world around was waking up to marvel at this, and she could hear the yawns of nature all around her. Small animals began to pop from their underground burrows, some even stopping to watch her run past them. And she whispered her hellos gently, flying by._

 _She whipped past the world around her the dawn turned into a bright day. Field after field, village after village. She passed them all with no hesitation. The dryness that had invaded her throat hadn't even slowed her, nor the stinging feeling in her chest._

 _It was only until she was met with the edge of a cliff that she stopped, looking down to see a waterfall that led to a lake beneath. And while she was confident in her swimming abilities, it was a long way down, and she couldn't tell how shallow the water was._

 _"Hmm..." A discouraged frown had formed on her face._

 _"Bet ya wanna get down there, right?" An odd voice had seemed to appear out of nowhere, nearly scaring Kagome into falling off of the cliff and to her possible doom._

 _When she turned, she saw a man with wings suspended in mid-air, with short, orange-ish, auburn hair and sky blue eyes. He was eyeing her quizzically, but didn't seem threatening at all. In fact, he looked somewhat childlike._

 _"I can get ya down, priestess...if ya want." He seemed to study her, but his voiced remained cheery nonetheless._

 _She studied him, looking at his white, feathered wings and metal armor. He had to be around 16 years old, but she couldn't pin point if he was alone or not._

 _"Why...would you wanna help me?" She asked, showcasing her level of caution, but the boy only laughed._

 _"Why not? With the way you're running, I can tell ya got somewhere to be." He grinned, "And I'm a sucker for helping out pretty ladies like you." He smiled, displaying his white teeth and bearing his pointy fangs that were a bit smaller than Inuyasha's. She remained quiet as she continued to pick him apart, looking for any hidden intentions._

 _"I'm Kairo, by the way." He scratched his head when she didn't respond. She hadn't even reciprocated his smile._

 _"Kagome." She replied._

 _"Well, c'mon, Kagome." He chuckled, deciding to grab her by her waist, lifting her up and using his wings to glide her down besides the waterful, ignoring her shrieks, and landing her right next to the shallow lake. By looking at it up close, she could see it was only a few feet deep, which meant she would have definitely been a goner if she jumped down by herself._

 _"Hey! Don't you know you can't just grab girls whenever you like and fly them around like that!" She angrily spat, furrowing her eyes together at the boy who really didn't think he did anything wrong._

 _"Whoa, calm down Priestess Kagome." He waved his hands defensively in front of her, "I was just trying to help!"_

 _She sighed. Part of her knew she could use the help, but the other part wanted to remain distant from possible threats. She had gotten so paranoid that Naraku would be using any techniques he had to lure her back to him. Although, something told her that this demon boy wasn't malicious. He actually seemed very sincere in his words._

 _"Well... thank you Kairo." She managed, "I guess I'll be on my way, then." When she turned to continue her journey, she hadn't expected that the boy would fly right in front of her._

 _"Where are you off to anyways?" He asked, leaning his face close to hers._

 _Now, she was getting annoyed, "I don't have a destination, yet. I'm just walking until I find someplace."_

 _"That sounds great!" He burst out, doing a flip in the air, "I don't have anywhere to be either!" He looked thoroughly excited, his eyes beaming._

 _"You don't think you can come with me, do you?" She asked, before attempting to walk around him, "I'm on an important mission!"_

 _"Well... I was just hoping I wouldn't have to be alone all day." He shrugged, his head drooping to the side a bit._

 _It was a bit odd to see a demon boy like this with no pack or anything. Kagome had thought close by there must be some other winged demons. But with the look on his face, it didn't seem like he had anyone around to go to. Could he really just be out here all alone with nowhere to go?_

 _"Where's your family or friends?" She asked._

 _Again, all she got from him was a shrug._

 _The solemn look in his eyes pulled out sympathy from Kagome's heart. Despite being imprisoned with Naraku, she hadn't grown cold enough to refuse a lonely boy some company, especially when his family was gone._

 _"Well, fine. You can come, but don't try anything funny with me or I'll purify you into dust!" She warned, earning a joyful smile from the demon, whose sad expression had vanished instantly._

 _"Wow! Pretty and kind! I guess I hit the jackpot today!" He laughed, shaking her hand._

 _She rose an eyebrow at his giddy attitude. He seemed much too happy for someone who was so lonely. Or maybe that loneliness made him that much more grateful._

 _"So, Kagome," He said, planting himself at her side, "Which way are we headed?"_

 _She pointed forward towards a path that led to what seemed to be a tropical jungle._

 _"That way."_

 **Oh boy, this was not one of my best chapters, but I gotta keep this all going. Here's a quick summary:**

 **Present:**  
 **\- The gang leaves the castle after Kagome decides not to tell them anything about those five years.  
\- We find out that Inuyasha had visited Kagome's family to tell them about her death  
-They decide to return to the village that had requested their help initially, and Kagome loses strength to keep walking, prompting Inuyasha to carry her.  
\- They reach the village and the people begin crowding Kagome, revealing that she was the priestess that the people had been missing.  
-The gang reveals to Kagome that Naraku had been missing, prompting her to think about Kagura and her failure to find her heart.  
-Then, they realize that, despite not having seen Naraku in three years, he had appeared to Ninken less than two years ago.  
-That fact combined with Ninken's call to Naraku after his defeat makes them begin to wonder if Naraku is hidden in the castle.**

 **Past:  
-We find out Kikyo is the priestess in the village Kagome collapsed in.  
-Kagome tells her she wants to get strong to beat Naraku before returning to her friends (leaving out the part about Kagura).  
-Kikyo agrees to train her, and does so for a few months before word about Inuyasha and the gang coming reaches the town and Kikyo tells Kagome.  
-Kagome decides to leave despite knowing that she can defend herself against Naraku if she joins the gang, knowing that her mission to save Kagura should be top priority, and not wanting the hunt for shards or Naraku to get in the way.  
-She leaves at dawn, running until she meets a cliff  
-A flying demon boy named Kairo takes it upon himself to fly her down the cliff, revealing that he is all alone and wants to travel with her  
-Kagome, feeling bad, decides to let him for the time being.**

 **Well, that's it for now folks! Let me know what you think!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Stories Told and Untold**

 **Hey everyone, once again, thanks for the amazing reviews. I definitely feel more encouraged the more people review, so keep it up!**

 **Also, I was completely inspired! So, I've never seen Ouran High School, but I was scrolling through to find some new animes and I saw two of the main characters (the twins) and realized that they look so similar to what I imagined Kairo to look like, except of course Kairo has blue eyes and more orangey hair. But if you'd like a visual of Kairo, search up Kaoru or Hikaru from Ouran! It's so close!**

"So... that's why we could never find you..." Miroku huffed, realizing just how complex this situation was. They had all seen the ways in which Kanna's mirror could trap souls and imitate attacks, but being able to create a hideout in such a simple, unsuspecting object just seemed like cheating.

"Well, we better head over... if Naraku is there, I want to be the one to rip him to shreds." Inuyasha bellowed, cracking his knuckles. It had been so long since he had been able to engage in battle with him, he could feel his inner demon itching to fight. He almost felt drawn to the idea of a battle.

As he stood up, ready to head out back towards the castle, he was stopped by a concerned demon-slayer, "We can't go now. Kagome needs to rest!"

The hanyou turned his head to the still sitting Kagome, who was staring up at him agonizingly, unintentionally showcasing her fatigue on her small face. He exhaled loudly at the sight of her, feeling haunted by her pain. However, he hadn't planned to take her along to fight Naraku, anyways. Not after all that happened.

"Kagome _is_ going to rest. I won't put her in danger." He said, assertively, not wanting to be challenged. Even as he spoke, he watched her closely.

"Inuyasha, we can't run up there without thinking this through." Miroku stepped in, slowly closing the distance between himself and the riled up hanyou. He knew that acting rash might only lead to more problems, and he didn't want any impulsive acting to lead them on a dead trail again.

"I am thinking this through! If he's in that damn castle, I want to fucking kill him! Send the bastard to hell for all that he's done!" His skin was on fire with his burning rage. His breathing had begun to speed up, getting louder and louder and growls could be heard from the inside of his throat. He hadn't been this angry in a while.

"We won't even know what to do if he's in the mirror!" Miroku's voice had gotten louder, too, clearly challenging the beastly wrath that the hanyou was displaying. His animalistic pose and huffing chest were almost identical to the way he stood when he turned into a full demon.

"Then I will break the damn mirror! I just have to destroy him!" The hanyou roared out. The image of his long lost enemy had blinded his sense of logic and all he could feel was this temptation to find and slaughter him. It was a temptation that coursed through his veins and beat to the rhythm of his aching heart.

"Kohaku might be in there!" Sango leaned in, "You won't destroy that mirror Inuyasha! Not without finding my brother."

But the only response she got was a constant growl that seemed to be getting louder and louder.

"Please..." A small voice stunned the room into silence, "Don't leave me." All eyes turned to Kagome, who struggled to stand up, but fearlessly approached the enraged half-demon.

As she neared him, his choleric expression softened, and a small gasp was the only sound he could make. His wide eyes watched as she slowly made her way to him, step by step. And as she got close enough, she fell forward, crashing into his chest.

"Please, don't." She weeped, and his arms instinctively made their way around her, embracing her. All this time, she had begun to think strategically about Kagura and her mission, but with the thought of being left alone after all of the isolation, she couldn't control her emotions. No strategic planning. No thinking analytically about how this situation could affect her current goals. It was just her wanting to be surrounded by her friends.

"I...I'm sorry." He croaked out, "I won't leave you..."

 _What was I thinking? She's been alone all this time and I didn't even consider how she would feel if we all just left her here. I may despise Naraku, but... not as much as I care for her._ His thoughts pounded against his skull and guilt rushed over him again. He was getting too caught up in the moment. He needed to just be with her now. No more senseless rage.

As they stood, their bodies close, Sango and Miroku watched, feeling relieved. Miroku neared her, smiling contently at the demon-slayer. They both knew that it was good to have the priestess back. She had always been the one who could calm him.

"We can all go together at dawn." Miroku declared, as the hugging couple stepped away from each other, "Tonight, we have a celebration to attend to, and I think we could all use this opportunity to relax."

Everyone nodded.

They all settled back into the hut, waiting patiently for someone to fetch them for the celebration. The room was still and peaceful now, and the restlessness that had once been felt had whisked away into nothing. Kagome was beginning to feel a bit better about her situations. The stains on her relationship caused by the long separation got lighter. She still didn't feel like she knew them all as well as she'd like, but she felt more part of the group as she had before.

 _But could it really be the same after all this time?_ She questioned, knowing the reality. They each could have changed so much, that they may all be strangers. _And I've changed, too..._ That she was certain of. Perhaps in some other, less cruel dimension, all would be well as soon as she returned to them. But five years is a long time to remain the same, and she knew that parts of her would be unrecognizable.

"So, Kagome, being a priestess here has made you a lot stronger." Sango remarked, smiling kindly at her long lost friend.

A wave of uncertainty crashed into the priestess, though. She wasn't sure what to say. "...Yes. I wanted to become as strong as I could." She could not reveal that it was Kikyo who trained her, at least not now. And part of her wondered if she ever would be able to.

"You seem to have succeeded." The demon-slayer continued, "Your aura was remarkable." Sango had been able to feel the pure, lavender aura that had emitted from Kagome's body in the castle. It seemed to be burning hot to the touch, as if it was manifested from deep below the Earth.

Kagome nodded, "Now, I just need to be able to use it without becoming exhausted after." She knew that all the time she had spent as a slave had struck on her endurance level. She wasn't able to practice with her powers, and consequently lost much of her abilities.

The group nodded, falling back into their awkward silence. There was not much to say, and the struggle to maintain a wholesome conversation just seemed inevitable, so opting for the quiet whispers of the wind was something everyone felt more comfortable with. Kirara seemed to take a few steps towards the priestess but stopped, almost as if she was unsure.

The sun had fallen low before Rey barged into the hut.

"Everything has been prepared! Come now to join us for your celebration!"

* * *

 _Kairo had stayed close to Kagome's side as they wandered through the plethora of trees and fallen branches. The sunlight could barely make it through to the ground. So much nature had surrounded them._

 _"Hey, Kagome, ya know I could fly us around if that'd be easier." The young demon suggest, placing both hands behind his head as he floated beside the girl._

 _Kagome hadn't really wanted Kairo to lift her and carry her. It was odd enough that she had agreed to travel with some strange boy, but being in constant physical contact just felt weird._

 _"I'm fine, thanks." She responded dryly, "But if the path is too much for you, I'd understand."_

 _She'd been acting cold to him since they had started the journey. Despite feeling bad for him, she couldn't help but feel burdened by his constant bubbly personality. This was a serious mission, which meant acting serious and concentrating on success, not wasting time with silly chit chat._

 _"You know, Kagome, you'd don't have to be so cranky." He mumbled, still maintaining his closeness to her, "What are ya trying to accomplish anyways."_

 _That's not your concern." The woman hissed, stepping over a bundle of fallen branches, "Got that demon boy?" Her eyes were narrowing on the path in front of her, becoming beady and displaying an uncomfortable level of seriousness she didn't even recognize._

 _He crossed his arms and floated in front of her, "My name isn't demon boy. It's Kairo. Kai-ro!" She was halted by his body standing in front of her like a barrier, looking down at her in defense. She hadn't really said his name much, referring to him as 'you' or, much to his dismay, 'demon boy'._

 _But as he hovered over her with arms crossed, waiting for her to respond, she couldn't help but remember her earlier encounter with Inuyasha, where she had enunciated the syllables of her name to him in response to being called Kikyo, and a pink blush began to rise on her cheeks. The blush was partially due to the fact that in her mind was only the image of his golden eyes. However, when she assessed the here and now, she couldn't help but notice the irony. Was she acting like Inuyasha did? Would that make Kairo...her?_

 _She quickly pushed that thought out of her mind and shook her head, "Sorry, Kairo. I don't mean to be so rude."_

 _Kairo's face lit up almost immediately after her apology though, his frown twisting itself back to his previous toothy grin, seemingly pleased and surprised that she would have even bothered to apologize so sincerely._

 _"So, tell me about yourself Kairo." Kagome sighed, deciding that, despite her current determination, she would make an effort not to completely treat him poorly throughout their time together. The boy moved back into his position at the woman's side upon hearing her question, and the two continued on their path, with him flying over the foliage._

 _"Hmm, there isn't much to me. I'm a bird demon, which I'm pretty sure you've figured out." He scratched his chin, inhaling, "I usually spend my days in the sky, since most nearby villages seem scared of me. Guess you're the first human who hasn't been, haha!"_

 _She began really regretting her harsh treatment of him, knowing that he must be living a lonely life. Even though she was rude, Kairo seemed to still be grateful for her just letting him travel together. Part of her felt like she was losing her kind side due to her confinement, almost like she had forgotten what being her true self was really like._

 _"I am...happy that you found me then." She whispered quietly, although he could still hear, "No one deserves to be lonely all the time." And it was something that she meant. She had, no doubt, became especially sensitive to the topic ever since meeting Inuyasha, who had spent much of his life being an outcast due to his mixed heritage. Upon hearing Kairo say that he'd been rejected by villagers, she couldn't help but feel her heart drop._

 _"Huh?" He turned his head to look over at the priestess, whose eyes were still staring at the road ahead, "...That's really nice of you to say, Kagome. You really are a nice person!"_

 _She couldn't help but grin at his compliment._

 _They traveled a bit longer, their time partially filled with more friendly small talk, although the dialogue was mostly casual and weather-related. Still, it was pleasant._

 _However, it wasn't long before they were confronted by a lizard demon, who lunged at Kagome, its mouth wide open. The demon mostly resembled an extremely large, green iguana with red eyes and much sharper teeth._

 _When Kagome quickly dodged the attack, Kairo took high into the air. Kagome noticed how his wings appeared to light up as he approached the enemy, clearly glowing due to his demonic powers. When he got close, the lizard's mouth quickly turned up to bite at him, its long fangs threatening to rip his body apart._

 _But Kairo quickly flew out of the way, slashing the demon's face, blood beginning to drip forth to the ground. While the attack did seem like it cut deep, the lizard demon did not quit. It's head leaned back in pain, but a look of determination marked its face when it turned back to face the boy was still near it._

 _Kagome had remained completely off guard as she watched her new friend attack, feeling taken back by the sudden attack, but also in awe at his demonic abilities. His wings almost looked angelic, ironic as it may seem._

 _But when reality hit her and she heard the beast roar viciously at Kairo, she grabbed her bow and arrow, and quickly took aim. She pulled it back carefully, watching the lizard's movements and narrowing her eyes to focus. It's green and bumpy skin seemed to wrinkle as it pulled back after each bite her took at the demon bird._

 _And after she had felt like she was ready, her dainty fingers let go of the bow, and a purple aura immediately surrounded it, almost like lavender flames. It dashed through the air and ripped through the demon's face, obliterating most of it with the immense spiritual energy. Kairo flew backwards as the beast fell forward, and the two watched it for a moment, though it didn't seem to move._

 _"So, uh, wanna fly now?" The boy asked, while still eyes the sprawled out corpse before them._

 _Kagome walked closer to him, "Yeah, sounds good."_

* * *

The group wandered out of the hut, noticing the setting sun causing a splash of yellows and reds that decorated the skies. None of them really knew where this celebration was, but they all followed behind Rey quietly. Although, Inuyasha made it a point to stay and Kagome's hip the whole way.

"Everyone is very excited." The man exclaimed, smiling earnestly, "And we are very grateful as well to you wonderful warriors." His posture was that of royalty as he led them to quite a large hut that looked as if it could house half of the villagers comfortably.

But while Inuyasha and the others looked in awe at the special hut, Kagome's eyebrow rose. She hadn't recognized the place, although it only made her curious as to why it was built and what was inside. The wooden exterior stretched outwards, wide and grandiose, with even a wooden door rather than a cloth. Flowers were planted around it as well.

Rey motioned for them to enter, opening the door and stepping aside so they could walk in. Waiting to greet them was a long wooden table, stretching out to about twenty feet, and lifting about several inches off of the ground. It was the perfect height for eating while sitting on the ground. Small, ivory pillows laid on both sides of the table, acting almost as chairs in the modern world would. It was quite a surprising and awe-inspiring sight to behold from such an average looking village.

"This was built in only a day by our village men! Construction started after we heard of the warriors coming our way!" Rey cooed, keeping his proud grin, "We knew they would accept our offer and save you. And we wanted to have this celebration."

"It is truly an honor to dine here, tonight." Miroku remarked, looking over at Sango as her eyes still took in the sights.

"Well, let us begin!" The village man announced.

As soon as he spoke, a door opposite the one they entered burst open, and people carrying plates of food and jugs of tea and sake came rushing in, quickly setting up the table. A plethora of meats, soups, roasted vegetables and rice were laid out before them, and the people quickly motioned for everyone to sit down.

Inuyasha, of course, sat to Kagome's left, and quickly motioned for Sango to sit at her right, much to Rey's dismay. Kirara happily perched on the demon-slayers shoulder.

"So, Lady Kagome, how are you feeling?" One girl asked. She looked to be only a few years younger than her.

Kagome sat there, confused for a moment, but managed a smile, "I am happy to have been rescued after so long." The smile was weak and faded quickly after her words fell from her lips, but the young girl seemed satisfied, maintaining her joyful expression.

 _What does she mean how am I feeling? I was enslaved for so long! I was tortured. My body is lined with scars and I was only just freed!... I feel... like I will never recover..._ She thought sadly, wishing her verbal response truly represented her inner emotions, _Even though I'm free, I feel like part of me is still locked up in that cell. People say if you look into the eyes of your oppressor, they will haunt you forever, even if you escape them. How could I forget the face of mines?_

Her eyes lowered to her empty plate, and she realized that everyone had already begun serving themselves, while she had been silent and still like a child's doll. She should be hungry, and maybe she was. But she hadn't eaten a full plate in so long, nor has she even served herself food. Part of her was nervous that when she reached out, someone would yell at her from touching something she wasn't supposed to. Like if she made a move, she would always be wrong.

Navigating through her life as a free woman while in the mindset of a slave merely trying to survive was much harder than she imagined.

 _How am I supposed to fight for those I care about if I can't even serve myself without getting anxious..._ Her mind was scrambling to figure something out.

"Kagome...Aren't you hungry?" A deep voice snapped her out of her head, and she looked to find Inuyasha and Sango both staring at her, looking worried.

"Let me help." Sango said, grabbing her plate and filling it with slices of meat, a side of veggies and rice. She placed it carefully in front of the woman, who still hadn't manage to say anything. Both of her friends still watched her, as she stared down at her newly filled plate with what seemed to be awe.

"I just... Thank you..." Kagome choked out, almost inaudibly. She picked up her utensils and began slowly eating the vegetables first, her bites small and childlike.

"It's no problem at all." Sango insisted, continuing to eat at her own plate of food.

The hanyou still just looked at her, curiously.

"You enjoying it?" He asked, cautiously. In truth, he wasn't quite sure how to approach her, now. Even though he definitely wanted to ease her back into the group.

She nodded her head, "It's very good." But her expression remained stoic as she wandered back into her thoughts. All the other villagers had been talking among themselves, their many conversations filling the room with noise.

"Lady Kagome! You must be so relieved! Tell us about what happened!" A middle-aged man called out from the far end of the table. Everyone's conversations began to quiet, and many leaned into hear what she had to say.

But his words were wrapping around her neck before she even got the chance to process them. Her heart began to pound so hard in her chest, it hurt. She could feel the pressure threatening to make her insides explode and the staring felt like a million people poking at her.

"I...Well...I..." She stammered, her breath becoming uneasy, sweat droplets forming on her forehead, "W-Well..." Truly, for Kagome, what had happened was a blur of pain and hopelessness that had made a home in her head, and filled her throat with uncertainty.

Still, the villagers leaned in closer and closer, almost as if her uneasiness provided everyone with some much needed suspense that made them crave an answer more.

She shut her eyes tight, "I think I am going to excuse myself."

She immediately stood, quicker than she thought she was even capable of, and wandered back to the hut that she had originally been told to wait in. Unsurprisingly, Inuyasha was right behind her, ready to directly confront her problems.

"Hey...what's the matter?" He questioned, leaning over her as she sat back in her original position. When she didn't immediately answer, he crouched down directly in front of her.

"Kagome...?"

She looked at him with wide-eyes, "What is this freedom? My body isn't chained...but I still feel like I'm in shackles."

The hanyou let out a sigh, his amber eyes dashing to the ground and back up at her, "I-I don't know... But I'll do what I can to help." He knew he couldn't understand her, although the desire to burned up beneath his skin as if his blood had become fire.

"There's nothing you can do."

"Keh, I can if you talk to me." He protested, although sympathy was still apparent in his eyes.

But the woman could only shake her head, "I can't talk about it now..." She bit her lip nervously as a second slowly crept over them in silence, "It just hurts."

"Where?"

She put both of her hands on the sides of her head, the palms rubbing against her temples soothingly. He nodded, wondering what kind of pain it could be. She wouldn't say, but there was a constant stinging in her head that would spread through her body, then fade until she felt hollow. As if all her insides had been sucked out of her.

"I will never let anyone take you away from me again." He spoke sternly, leaning in closer to lessen the distance between them. The night that Naraku had taken her was playing back in his mind on repeat, the memory causing him to feel protective of her in this moment despite the lack of a threat.

She paused as she felt the heat from his body began to surround her like sunlight. She felt something different now besides her loneliness and pain. His declaration had brought a smile on her face, one that appeared out of nowhere, but disappeared just as fast. He noticed it though, and he smirked, the corner of his mouth very slightly curving upward.

"I don't want to return to the celebration." Kagome confessed, feeling somewhat guilty due to the amount of effort the townspeople had put into it. But wanting to tell him.

"Then don't." He responded, not peeling his eyes away from her. She didn't need to say it for him to know that she was feeling obligated to go, but to him, there was no one else who deserved to be a bit selfish than her, "We can stay here."

And they did. Kagome asked about their time without her, and Inuyasha told a story of merely hunting Naraku and exterminating other demons. She wondered how he might have changed, but could still see the boy she knew all those five years ago. She wanted to be the same girl, too, one that fit him like a glove the way it had been. But was scared she wouldn't be what he wanted anymore.

Still, she listened to the story, although it lacked any details at all, and was quite shocked that they had all kept up the same motivation as before, never settling down. He had sat with his legs crossed next to her.

She asked for Shippo, who had apparently left the group a few years back to train with other fox demons. He explained how he missed her too much to stay. And how Inuyasha occasionally left the group at night to visit him when they set up camp nearby. It was sad to her, but comforting to know that wherever he was, the young fox demon was safe.

When she fell asleep, her head was leaning on his shoulder comfortably, and he let it stay. The feeling of her resting against him, the momentum of her breathing and the scent she was emitting had been well enough for him to feel all too relaxed. As if he he had gained the most valuable treasure.

Sango and Miroku returned late, Miroku partially drunk and Sango tuckered out. Both had assumed that Kagome and Inuyasha had been having some much needed alone time, and decided to remain at the celebration as to not interrupt. Neither noticed Inuyasha's sleeplessness, but he watched them fall asleep.

Morning would soon come, and he knew that Kagome would rise from beside him and join them on a quest as it had been five years ago. Yet, he feared losing her. And while he wasn't tense due to the relaxing aroma of her natural scent, he was still a bit nervous. Though he eventually fell asleep.

* * *

 _Kagome and Kairo flew about until they reached the end of the forest, and landed in a wide field of tall grass._

 _"See, flying isn't bad, Kagome." The bird demon smiled as he lowered her onto her feet. She shrugged a bit, but managed a sincere smile. It hadn't been that bad, and it had also made their journey go by much quicker._

 _They walked for a bit, hoping to come across a path of some sort, or even a river. However, as the day faded a bit, the priestess felt the inevitable tiredness that she knew would eventually take over._

 _She glanced over at Kairo and noticed that he, too, seemed to be drained of much energy, his shoulders slumped a bit and he was moving slower than usual. It seemed odd considering demons were supposed to have amazing endurance and, even though they had battled a lizard demon earlier, she hadn't thought that he would have exhausted that much energy._

 _"Are you alright?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at him._

 _He looked a bit confused before realizing that she was referring to his fatigue which was on display, but instead of getting embarrassed, he laughed a bit._

 _"I come from a tribe in the Valleys of the East. We resemble doves more than any other bird and have less of a physical fighting instinct." He explained, "We can fight and all, as you can see, but we excel more in terms of mental strength."_

 _"Huh?" She questioned, "What do you mean?"_

 _"I mean that while have fighting abilities, my endurance isn't so high because my talents lie in the mental realm." By now, they had stopped walking, "Like I could read your mind if I concentrated hard enough."_

 _Kagome's nose scrunched up in displeasure, "You better not."_

 _"Ha! Don't worry, I won't. You'd be able to feel it with your priestess powers if I did." He raised both hands up in defense, although his tone was clearly playful, "But it's stuff like that. Super strong demons can manipulate the thoughts and memories of others, though. It takes a lot of energy, but they essentially manipulate the whole mind!"_

 _Now she was interested. She had heard of spells to control people, but never really of an inherent ability to manipulate people's thoughts. Most of the time, spells just made people obedient, but didn't really change a person's really mindset._

 _"What kind of things do they do with someone's mind?" She asked, her eyes wide with curiosity._

 _"Hmm. Well, they can put thoughts into their heads, distort their memories, make them see things or even change their desires!" Kairo exclaimed, feeling prideful of his heritage, "But obviously, the stronger the target it, the harder it is to get inside their minds."_

 _Kagome wondered if one his tribe members could get Naraku to give Kagura her heart, but quickly pushed the thought out of her mind as she remembered that his friends and family was clearly a sensitive topic._

 _"That is actually really cool." She replied, now wanting to know more._

 _"Thank you. Maybe you'll like me more if I get strong enough to actually do all that stuff." He joked, earning a weird look from his traveling companion, "But hey! Would ya mind resting for a bit?" The request quickly poured forth from his lips, motivated by the need to quickly prevent any awkwardness from his other comment. He knew Kagome didn't dislike him, although he worried that she was just more indifferent._

 _"T-That's fine." She took a deep breath, trying to process what he had said, but was quickly interrupted by him grabbing her by her arm and pulling her forward a bit to the best spot he could find, where a single tree resided for them to sleep under._

 _When they settled, Kagome was lying on the grass next to the tree, while Kairo was on the other side._

 _"So, tell me more about you." Kairo suddenly asked._

 _She hadn't been expecting him to say something like that and now was confronted with the bittersweet story of her life, unsure of how to feel. She knew he was lonely, so she guessed that it wasn't all surprising that he wanted to feel close to someone._

 _"Well... you wouldn't believe me if I told you." She replied, feeling certain that her origin was quite a lot to swallow for someone like him._

 _But he insisted on hearing her out, begging her to just say it._

 _"Alright, alright." She gave in, taking in a large breath, "I am originally from 500 years in the future."_

 _She waited a bit before continuing, hearing a chuckle from the other side._

 _"Ha! Be serious, Kagome." He teased, still smiling._

 _"I am! I swear on my life that I am from the future! The power of a magnificent jewel allowed me to pass back in time." The girl was not sure if she could get him to believe that, despite her honesty, knowing that it was a weird story._

 _"Are you really from that far into the future?" He asked, sounding somewhat hopeful that the priestess was actually telling him the truth._

 _"Yup. When I turned 15, I was dragged into a magic well and sent on a quest to defeat a terrible demon." She continued, "His name is Naraku."_

 _"Naraku? I've heard about him while passing several villages, but don't know much about him." Kairo added. And it was true. Naraku was somewhat notorious for causing widespread trouble for many, many people. It's not odd that his name is well-known._

 _"He's a terrible demon who craves only power and will do whatever it takes to get it." She sighed, "He kidnapped me and separated me from my friends. I escaped a while ago and have been training ever since."_

 _Silence took over the both of them. The realization that all people have a story never dawned on him until he heard hers. While he considered her a friend, he knew he really didn't know her and might never get the chance to. She had friends somewhere, and she was probably hoping to find them. He recalled the way she had said that she didn't know where she was going, and he wondered if she didn't know where her people were, so she just wandered. The winged demon felt the urge to ask build up in his throat, but the idea of crossing a line and ruining the conversation acted as a tall barrier against his desire._

 _"Are you okay, Kairo?" Her voice soothed the uncertain silence that was pressing against his adam's apple. Was she being polite or did she really feel concerned over the sudden quietness?_

 _He cleared his throat, "Uh yeah... That's just quite a backstory you got there."_

 _"Well, you've gotta have more of a backstory than what you've said so far." Kagome replied, her tone unsuspecting of the boy's inner conflict, "I've said mines, now you say yours."_

 _Kairo scratched his head nervously, the wind blowing in the sky pushing his hair away from his face, "I...uh... Well, I'm not quite sure how to talk about it."_

 _This was new. Not sure how to talk about something? If there was something the priestess had picked up about the young demon, it's that he could talk about anything. And yet, the prevailing silence poked at the fabric of their conversation, threatening to end it._

 _"Hey you can talk to me. We're friends, right?" Her words seemed to cradle his tired body. He wondered if she saw him as such, and now he felt as though he weary wings were glowing._

 _"Well I'll try. There's a sort of monarchy in my tribe. Like Kings and Queens and such. And a lot of expectations for royal blood." He began, eyes piercing the night sky, "And, well, for a certain son of the king, those expectations were...unappealing."_

 _It took Kagome a second to process what he meant, mouthing the words before she even said it aloud, "Prince? ...You're a prince?!" Her shocked tone was one that could be perceived as insulting, but Kairo laughed at her astonishment instead._

 _The glow of the stars seemed to target their light at the two, as a confused priestess continued to mutter to herself about the surprise. And it began to dawn on her, too, that everyone has really got their own unique backstory._

 _"Well, what were those expectations?" She asked quickly, almost as if she was being told a real fairytale tragedy of sorts._

 _He just let out another sigh, "You know, training and obedience and such. And socializing with the right people..."_

 _That last part seemed to be strained. Kagome couldn't figure out what that could mean. Did he perhaps have friends that were commoners? That didn't seem like it would be that important as to result in him leaving and being so far away from home._

 _"I... uh... I fell in love with a girl. She was a commoner, so it was against my parents' will. But I would see her night after creeping out into the forest and flying on the branches of the trees. She would always be waiting for me." The cracks in his voice seem to resonate with Kagome as if they were fissures in the ground. She felt her being shake._

 _"I was warned against seeing her. But obeying was never my strong suit. I even wanted to marry her..." His voice drifted off a bit before she heard him gulp, "But, you know how it goes. She turns out to be evil, causes some trouble and I get blamed and exiled."_

 _He rushed through the ending so quickly, the girl wasn't even sure of what she heard until a few seconds after his words traveled through her mind. And in the end, she almost felt sorry for asking. But she didn't. Without knowing, she wouldn't be able to sympathize. And he wouldn't have been able to speak about it so comfortably._

 _"...You've got quite a backstory, too." She said quietly, "...I'm sorry that happened to you."_

 _"Ahh, don't worry. I'm over it. I like being free more than being a prince, anyways." His voice appeared sincere and even cheery, but something told Kagome that it was misleading._

 _When she didn't answer, he quickly began to speak, "I mean it, seriously! I was young and dumb. It was easier to put myself back together knowing she's not what I thought she was. And it's easier to forgive my family now that I'm away from them."_

 _It was weird logic, but the priestess understood it. Getting your heart broken would probably be harder if it was from someone good. And even if it's not, the thought probably comforted him. And now that he is free from his other burdens, perhaps he did make peace with his family. Nothing about him up to this point seemed to be completely broken. And for once, his giddy personality seemed to be a blessing more than anything else._

 _"I guess you're just strong." She whispered, hoping her words would make him feel good in some sort of way._

 _"Ha! It's not that." He chucked, "I'm a decent demon. To an extent, I can rearrange my thoughts. I can't make myself forget, but I can make the memory of her less lovable. And my home more miserable. And it makes my life easier. In fact, I'm sort of happy."_

 _"Do your tribe members do that with all bad memories?" She asked._

 _He shook his head, "No one wants to live a life they keep having to forget. Plus it's a pain to do. So, only if it's really bad."_

 _She nodded quietly, wondering how much pain Kairo would be in if he didn't have that ability._

 _"I'm not saying it's easy to live with my memories, but it's way better than it could have been." He clarified, partially curious to the agony he should be in, "...Oh by the way, thanks for being a good friend Kagome. Looks like I won't need to tamper with the memory of you. Ha!"_

 _She heard him laughing a bit on his side of the tree, and smiled a bit herself._

 _"Anytime, Kairo." She giggled, "Now, get some sleep!"_

* * *

As the crew began to leave the village, Sango stopped on the outskirts, having forgotten her small blade in the hut. She carried it for more close combat.

Miroku joined her on the walk back, while Kagome and Inuyasha just stood there calmly. They hadn't spoken much since they woke up. Everyone just knew what the mission was and got ready in silence. Almost rushing to head out towards the castle.

But now, as the woman stood, staring into the distance, watching their path curve slightly as it led to the mountain which their destination was located, she felt odd. Her lips slightly parted to make way for the small breaths she was taking. An eyebrow was raised as her insides raced to pinpoint what this feeling meant.

"Are you okay?" The half-demon asked, not concerned for her safety, but more so curious to what she could be thinking about at this moment.

She paused, closing her lips once more and inhaling deeply through her nose, "I just... it feels like something is missing."

That wasn't quite the answer he was expecting. It was so vague that it begged more questions than it answered.

"What do ya mean, Kagome?" He asked, his gruffy voice soft and warm. He was doing his best to try and sympathize with the woman, even if it wasn't his strong suit. Perhaps it was the aching guilt eating at him as he watched her stare longingly into nothing, but he was going to do his best to help her adjust.

And while his efforts were noted, they were in vain. Because Kagome hadn't the slightest clue what she meant. She just knew that as she stood with eyes looking forward, something in her heart was missing. It was this nonexistent pull on her soul that emphasized a hole inside of her that didn't quite make sense.

"I'm not sure. It just feels like I'm missing something." She sighed inwardly, looking over at the concerned hanyou. His golden eyes were practically swallowing her whole. She decided to brush off the feeling, though. They had enough to worry about at the moment, and she didn't want to worry her friends any more than she had.

Inuyasha looked down, still wishing he could do a better job at helping her. He wished he was just better. But he felt so distant from her, even now that she was right next to him. And it was killing him.

Sango returned with her blade, the monk right at her heels. It seemed as if the two had well adjusted to Kagome's return, though still giving her reassuring looks from time to time.

The demon-slayer walked up to the woman, pausing momentarily, "You know, Kagome, I'm sure the villagers would let you borrow other clothes."

It was true, Kagome had remained in her slave attire the entire time after leaving the castle. And she was well aware of it. But for some reason, despite her hyper sensitivity to the symbolic outfit, she had no desire to change out of it.

"It doesn't bother me. Thank you for the thought, though." She smiled, "I think we all just wanna hurry up and find Naraku."

 _Maybe its just that if I take this off, I'll be proving that these memories make me weak. Maybe I want to be strong in this cursed outfit just to spite the ones that put me in it._ Kagome thought to herself, wondering if she was stupid for having a goal such as that, but deciding that she didn't want to take the time to ask for another outfit anyways.

So they took off, first walking, then Kirara transformed into her beast form and Sango and Kagome rode while the men ran. No one spoke really, and Kagome found herself closing her eyes as the wind raced through her. She promised herself she would be strong.

 _Especially now. I may have these friends with me but Kagura is still out there, and so far, all I've done is fail her. She may not even be alive._ She thought, her mouth forming into a small frown. She didn't want to think that Kagura was dead. There was no point in being so negative before she even knew the truth.

And yet, she felt her body fill with sadness, like a storm beneath her chest.

She was enveloped with her thoughts as they approached the castle, no guards in sight. Kagome and Sango jumped off and Kirara returned to her to her tiny form. As they approached the doors, Inuyasha took in a big whiff.

"Fire demons are still running a muck in there. Keh, I can't imagine them being happy with us." He scoffed, not really feeling worried, just not interested in dealing with them.

"Well, my friends, fire demons or not. Our enemy may be somewhere in here, and we must find him." Miroku said, staff in hand.

They all nodded, opening the doors that led to the inside. No one seemed to be in the hallway, although they could hear chatter from up ahead.

"We will get our vengeance." One voice declared. It was followed by massive agreement, and shouts of bitterness.

"Our great king will not have died in vain!" Another shouted, riling up the others with them even more.

The distant calls somewhat concerned Sango, who wasn't excited about the possibility of fighting more fire demons. They weren't the strongest opponents, but she didn't want any energy wasted on anyone but Naraku.

Although, it was looking like they didn't have a point. This hallway seemed to lead to the distant voices, and the group had to be prepared to fight.

As they walked, the shadow of three demons appeared on the walls, getting closer to them. Inuyasha pulled out Tessaiga, a low growl emanating from his throat. His grip became tighter with every passing second.

But when the demons revealed themselves, Sango gasped.

It was Eli, Matsu and Koto, the three young boys that King Ninken had tried to convict and kill. They were standing with their raggedy clothes, sadness scribbled onto their expressions.

"Are you all alright?" Sango asked, approaching them, wondering why they would be here now, almost as if they were heading towards the exit.

The three boys cowered together, but after recognizing Sango, they relaxed and looked at each other.

"Demon-slayer..." Eli began, looking down towards the ground, "After Ninken died, word spread about how you, one of the King Ninken's murderers defended us. And the others burned our house down, leaving our mother to die."

The eeriness in his voice resonated with everyone, and his brothers all turned away, not wanting to look anyone in the eyes.

"Oh, you poor things." Sango said, wanting to reach out and touch Eli's shoulder, but resisting the urge and dropping her arm back to her side, "I am sorry for the misfortune we have caused you."

But Eli just shook his head, "No, Miss Sango. Our mother had not much time left due to her illness, anyways. We are grateful for your bravery for defending us in the King's court and saving our lives."

"Where are ya off too, then?" Inuyasha asked, sheathing Tessaiga.

"It's clear we are not welcome here. We were just going to travel." Matsu said, still keeping his gaze to the ground, "But, why have you returned? The fire demons are enraged and will attack you on sight."

Sango looked back at her friends behind her, "Ninken was coerced into kidnapping our friend by an evil demon who we believe may be residing in a demonic mirror in this castle."

The brothers all looked at each other, almost as if trying to read each other's mind and think together about what Sango had just said to them. After a minute of silent contemplation, Eli stepped forward once again.

"There is a place on the top tower where Ninken keeps his valuables." He explained, leaning in closer to all of them as if he was telling a deep dark secret. His tone was mischievous, he sounded like a sneaky child, "And there are secret passageways in the castle that lead to it."

"Huh? Secret passageways?" Sango asked.

Eli shook his head, "Our father used to be a chef in this castle before his death. We lived here and explored, finding all the passageways within the walls and even making it to the most secretive places here."

He stuck his hand out and grazed his fingers against the walls as he spoke, looking back and forth from that to Sango, "We can take you. You spared our lives."

"You would do that?" The demon-slayer felt completely grateful to them, a feeling that they had been harboring for her since she had stood up for them. The idea of what you give is what you get felt so apparent right now.

"Of course!" Koto exclaimed, "Even though we lost our mom, we still have each other. And that's because of you."

A warm smile spread on her face as a feeling pride washed over her skin, making it glow as if the sunlight was shining on her alone.

 _Did I really do this? Were my actions really that significant?_ She wondered as they all looked up to her, _These boys look to me as a hero... My father would be proud..._

"Keh, well it's settled then. And we don't have much more time to sit around talking." Inuyasha declared, a small grin forming on his face, "Lead the way."

 **Let me first apologize for how late this is. I had an emergency trip to Europe for a funeral and I completely spent the last couple weeks with a writer's block. But I'm back! And I'm ready to keep writing. There's no way I'm abandoning this fun story.**

 **So, review review. It might even make me update sooner!**

 **Lemme know if anything is confusing or if you've got any suggestions for my writing.**

 **Can't wait to keep going!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Out of Control**

 **Hey everyone! Thanks for all the reviews!  
Just a refresher: _After a melancholy filled celebration, the gang is up at the late Ninken's castle, about to get led through some secret passageways with the help of the same three boys Sango helped save from conviction._**

 _ **After battling a lizard demon, Kagome learns of Kairo's demonic abilities, which lie mostly in the mental realm, dealing with the manipulation of thoughts, feelings and memories. We find out that Kairo uses his powers on himself to manipulate his memories to make them less painful.**_

 **Well, without further ado, let the adventure continue!**

After sneaking around, Matsu put his hand up against the wall. They had managed to make it down a few hallways, avoiding any fire demons. Thankfully, the stench of fire demon blood seemed to overpower their own scents. The throne room had been completely drenched in it, and it would seem as though the rest of the kingdom had yet to clean it. Not that it had been very long. Only a day had passed since Inuyasha and Sango had slaughter all those fire demons.

None of the blood belonged to Ninken, though. His entire body had been obliterated by Kagome while her aura had surrounded her.

Inuyasha remembered the way in which she had grabbed him mercilessly by the neck, not only ending his life, but destroying any remains that may have been coveted by his kingdom. And he understood her act. He, too, would have not been able to stop himself from killing him if he was in Kagome's shoes. And yet he contemplated the ways in which the old Kagome would have acted. Before this, she would have never killed Ninken like that. She would have talked more with him, showed empathy and would have taken the jewel shard, only opting to kill him if he threatened to attack again.

But that was before she was given a reason to kill like that. Before she was introduced to pure pain and agony. An experience Inuyasha would have died to prevent. She was Kagome, and she would always be Kagome. But she was a wounded Kagome.

So wounded that Miroku had picked up the tainted shard that had fallen after Ninken was destroyed and had only given it to Kagome once her aura faded. It was out of fear that her pain may have prevented her from purifying it if she touched it right after killing him.

"Here's the first tunnel." Matsu announced proudly, applying pressure against the wall with his palms. It revealed a disguised door that pushed back, a door that led to a dark tunnel.

"Follow us." Eli said as he produced a flame in his hands. As they wandered through the tunnel, the flame lit up their path. The gang noticed how the path would split and momentarily, Kagome wondered what lied beyond these other paths. Still, she followed the boys.

Interior of the passageways were rough and rocky, the walls rigid and cold like the deep insides of a cave. Kagome suddenly wished she had on some shoes, as her bare feet were touching upon the chilly ground and sending shivers up her body. Still, she didn't complain. Out of all the things she experienced, walking through these tunnels was paradise.

Eli, Matsu and Koto led them through until a dead end was reached. Again, Matsu put his hand against the wall and pushed until another door was again revealed, allowing them to pass through and out into a new room.

Although, they immediately wished they didn't.

As the three boys and Sango ambled out into the room, the demon slayer immediately turned around, pushing Miroku back in, effectively stopping Inuyasha and Kagome from exiting.

"Dear Sango, what's the matter?" He asked cautiously. But her face was pale. And soon, the strong scent of death was infiltrating the darkened tunnel.

"Just tell Kagome to close her eyes." She responded in a low voice, looking down, "It'd be best if we got through this room as quickly as possible."

Inuyasha heard her advise and took no time to inform the priestess, who hesitated but agreed to keep her eyes closed until she was told not to. The hanyou's nose scrunched at the grotesque scent that was bombarding him, but he managed to remain calm.

"My eyes are closed." She said.

He put both hands on her shoulders to guide her they followed Miroku out of the passageway. The monk gasped quietly, and as Kagome exited, she could feel Inuyasha's grip on her shoulders tighten. She wanted to know what was in this room and why it had everyone so riled up.

She also wanted to know why she was the only one who was instructed to close her eyes. She didn't want them to think of her as too fragile that she had to be protected from every little thing. She did train for years. She was powerful.

They wandered through the room for what seemed like forever when Kagome stepped on something and a loud crack ended the silence. She opened her eyes immediately as a reflex, to see what was under her foot. But when she looked around, she understood why they had told her to close her eyes.

She couldn't move. In this large, dimly lit room that stretched out like a mini hallway, the remains of dead priestesses were scattered about, almost as if their corpses were thrown instead of neatly placed. Beneath her foot was a small bone that must have fallen off one of the older skeletons that were here.

Although, it wasn't the skeletons that had stirred up disgust and heartache within her, it was the newer corpses. The ones who weren't just a bare skeleton.

The mangled bodies of the women had they clothes almost completely ripped off, often with just the remains of a ripped skirt. The brassieres were thrown everywhere, and some of the bodies were still covering their exposed breasts.

It wasn't long for Kagome to figure out what had happened in this room. Priestesses were brought up here to be disposed of. It must have been the ones who were too old or weak to continue slaving about the castle who were here. However, given that all of the corpses who still had their faces in tact were clearly young, she assumed that most of them didn't make it to an old age before getting brought here to die.

Then there was their torn clothes. The scars that lines the bodies. The way they cradled their chests, almost as if they were hugging themselves. It was clear that they were not just dropped off in this room. They were abused, assaulted, and violated up until their last moments.

When everyone realized that she had opened her eyes, they all watched her cautiously. Each one wanting to reach out and comfort her but not knowing how.

But when Sango looked down at her in her outfit, and back to the dead priestesses, she looked away. Her heart was beating all too fast and she could feel her knees threatening to betray her and collapse at any moment. But she didn't want her friend to see it. She needed to be strong.

"Let us keep walking. I will say a prayer for them." Miroku declared, his voice stained with sorrow, "They are at peace now."

Everyone seemed to agree, but as Kagome continue to walk, she couldn't help but want to curl up and waste away.

 _Why... Why did this happen to them... For what purpose?_ But as she scoped her mind for answers, she realized she wouldn't get any. There were no answers. No reasons for their fate. No logic. And she would have to live with it. The dissatisfaction of not having any rationale for the suffering of these women.

And while she looked down at the brassier ad skirt that adorned her body, she knew that she would have never had their fate. No matter which path she ended up on, it would have led to Naraku. Even if Inuyasha hadn't come to her rescue, she would have lived to see Naraku. It would have never led to this bitter end. And for some reason, knowing that she always had a better chance than them made her sadder. She was no more deserving.

 _And if I have this opportunity, I will do my best with it. I must defeat Naraku. I must save Kagura. And I must purify the Shikon Jewel._ And yet, her pep talk couldn't stop her unending sadness from transforming into rage as she thought of Naraku. It was the same rage she felt before killing Ninken. And she struggled to keep her aura down. She would end Naraku. If it was the last thing she did.

They continued onward, exiting the forsaken room and found themselves out in a hallway. Once again, Matsu revealed a hidden door in the wall and they traveled through, this time up some stairs. And not once did Inuyasha let go of the priestess. He kept his hands on her shoulders even if it were just to feel her with him. To know that she was by his side and that he could easily protect her.

They ascended up countless stairs before reaching another end, which Matsu opened, bringing them to hallway. It was peculiar though. The hallway was long, stretching out over 50 feet, but contained no door except for one at the very end. Which meant that there was no other way to this tower except through these secret tunnels.

"That's it." Eli declared, pointing over to the black, sinister door, "With the king and his main men dead, we must be the last people who even know how to get here."

It would explain the lack of presence up here. While there were guards and soldiers left, the higher ups had probably been in the throne room with Ninken and consequently were dead.

They approached the door, the boys now trailing behind them. Miroku reached it first, but turned to look back at the group before opening it.

"Listen boys," Sango began, turning to Eli, Matsu and Koto, "We are very grateful to you all. But it is time for you to leave. A powerful and evil demon might be behind this door, and I don't want you to get hurt."

"Are you sure, Miss Sango?" Koto asked, staring at her with childlike wide eyes, "We could wait out here."

"No." She shook her head, "You've done us a great service, but this isn't your battle. Go and start your new lives."

"Okay Miss Sango." He replied, looking at his brothers and then back at her, "We hope to cross paths with you again."

She nodded. And with that, they turned back and disappeared behind the hidden door. Sango said a silent prayer for them, truly hoping she would see them again. And praying that if she did, they would have made good lives for themselves.

She turned back to the group and nodded towards Miroku, "It's time to go in."

* * *

 _When morning came, a well rested Kairo awoke from his slumber. He sat up, and stretched away any left over tiredness, taking a look around and remembering the events of yesterday. This prompted him to look over at the girl who was still in a deep sleep._

 _Kagome. The girl from the future. The priestess from the future. She was truly a mystery to him._

 _"How did I end up with a time-traveler?" He chuckled quietly, a wide smile appearing on his youthful face. He contemplated her story a bit more, even wondering why he bothered to believe it. There was nothing otherworldly about her. She was a strong priestess. She fit into this era perfectly. Why should he truly believe that there was some dried up well that is actually a portal to the future? She could just be a crazy girl._

 _And yet, despite all his doubts, he knew he believed her. He did with every part of his soul. And that interested him. He bet she had countless stories to tell about it. People in this time had theories about the end of the world, but he was happy to know the world made it that far._

 _And then there were her friends. Her adventures. He wanted to ask, but feared for rejection. She was separated from them and had spent time in captivity. He didn't know if she would be willing to talk about it._

 _He watched her closely, wondering how hard it would be to read her thoughts._

 _"Ha, I wouldn't. Even I could without her finding out." He kept his voice low enough so she wouldn't hear him._

 _He spent the rest of the morning stretching out his wings before Kagome woke up._

 _"Good morning, Kairo." She smiled, "How did you sleep?"_

 _He glanced over and returned the smile, "I slept well. I assume you did, too, given your mood."_

 _She nodded, getting up._

 _"Well, we better get going. I don't want to waste any time." She exclaimed, though her tone was still peppy and lighthearted. Kairo nodded, though still wishing he knew exactly what Kagome's goal was. But he didn't bother asking again._

 _They walked on, stopping to get some fruit along the way. Kairo had flew up and picked them from the highest branches, only getting the best and the ripest. He liked the way she smiled when he passed her one, expressing her gratitude and pretending she hadn't eaten in years._

 _"You really like to eat, don't you." He joked._

 _She gave him a weird look, "Doesn't everyone?"_

 _He laughed, "Not like you! You've eaten so much and it's still early."_

 _She chuckled, turning a light pink. She hadn't realized she had overeaten in front of him."Well, I'm a big girl and I've got a big mission which means I need a full stomach to get it done." She glanced over at him after her petty excuse just to find him giving her the same weird look she'd given him just moments ago._

 _They just both ended up laughing._

 _After that, they kept it moving. Kairo had asked to stop and Kagome had refused, saying that she just wanted to go a little further. Despite his desire to just sit for a bit, he kept it moving along with her. He really didn't want to get left behind._

 _So, for a few hours more, they kept up a quick pace, heading towards an unknown destination. And of course, when they didn't get there, they rested, walked some more, and then went to sleep. It was a pattern for the next few days. And they talked through most of the time. Well, they small talked. Kagome talked about her family briefly, while Kairo eagerly listened. And of course, she asked Kairo more about his powers._

 _"I could help you train!" He giddily suggested._

 _She looked at him briefly before shaking her head, "I'm not a demon Kairo. Our powers are entirely different."_

 _"Not really." He shrugged, "We both require mental and emotional strength, which I get through meditation. If you meditated with me, you'd probably get stronger."_

 _She contemplated his offer. It made sense. She did need to have control over her mind and emotions to control her powers since they were spiritual._

 _"Well, alright."_

 _They sat down in a field with their legs crossed. He told her to close her eyes and think of absolutely nothing for a bit, to give her mind a break. After, he told her to concentrate on her insides, feeling the power coarse from one place to another. He told her to will it to go certain place. So, she did. She concentrated on her hands, then her arms. And her feet and legs. Soon enough, her whole body was lit up with her aura._

 _It soon faded though. But that didn't make Kagome any less excited._

 _"That's it!" She announced, jumping to her feet. Kairo opened his eyes, wondering what was wrong._

 _"We are doing this everyday!"_

 _And they did. For a few more days. Kagome loved it._

 _And he liked being with her. During meditation, he would sneak peeks at her, watching as different parts of her glowed. He would smile to himself, unable to clear his mind of her face._

 _One warm afternoon, they were walking, and Kagome was visibly annoyed that they hadn't found anything of interest. She didn't even know if this was the right way, though she'd be able to say that with any direction she took._

 _It wasn't until they were passing by a forest that Kagome heard a small voice calling out for help. She whipped her head to the side, looking for the source of that voice._

 _"Oh dear." She said as an older woman came into view. She had scratches all over her visible skin and seemed to be limping._

 _"Is anyone there?" She called out, sounding as if she could barely breathe. Exhaustion was apparent in her expression._

 _Without hesitation, Kagome approached the woman, who looked at her with begging eyes. "What happened to you?" She asked, her voice warm and welcoming. The woman explained that she had fallen into some bushes in the forest, causing her to hurt her ankle and gave her cuts all over._

 _"In my youth, I may have been able to muddle through this." She sighed, "But hey, we all gotta get old sometime."  
_

 _The priestess just smiled, telling the older woman to sit down against a tree so she could inspect her ankle. The woman was compliant, and soon enough, Kagome had her leg in her hand, feeling the bones in the problem area._

 _"How badly does it hurt?" She asked, applying pressure. The woman shook her head, "It's not very good."_

 _The priestess decided it was time to use her powers. Kikyo had taught her a good deal about spiritual healing, so she knew she could at least heal her ankle. She would definitely be fine after that, even with those little scratches._

 _She concentrated until a faint, lavender glow appeared around her hand. She lowered that hand over the woman's ankle and left it there until she could feel the woman heal. After that, she slowly placed her ankle down on the ground and stood up._

 _"How do you feel?" She asked._

 _The woman stood and a big smile spread on your face, "I feel wonderful. Thank you priestess!"_

 _Kagome nodded her head, feeling somewhat tired now, "Where are you headed?"_

 _"My village is only a short walk away from here." She answered, pointing forward, "Do you see that mountain? It is that way."_

 _Kagome looked and saw the large mountain in the distance, nodding at the woman._

 _"Priestess, if you need a place to stay, our village will gladly welcome you." She continued, "We do not have a priestess around, and the people in our village seem to always find a way to get sick."_

 _The girl contemplated the offer, feeling guilty after hearing of the people's misfortune. While she didn't want to stay for too long, perhaps she could help them for a few days. Plus, she could scope out the area._

 _"I think I will take you up on that offer." She answered._

 _The woman chuckled and told her to follow her, but Kagome looked around, noting that Kairo couldn't be seen. She had swore he was right behind her when she approached the woman._

 _"Um, actually I think I will meet you there." Kagome sighed, "I seemed to have lost my traveling companion."_

 _The woman gave her a weird look, but bowed, "Okay, priestess. Remember, the village is just straight ahead. I look forward to your arrival." And with that, she went on her way._

 _Kagome turned and tried to see if she could spot the bird demon, but he seemed to be nowhere in sight._

 _"Kairo!" She called out, "I wonder where he could have gone..."_

 _Although, she didn't have to wonder for very long. Soon enough, the bird demon flew down from one of the forest trees. He didn't seem to pleased, although she couldn't say that he looked angry either. More like sad or even disappointed._

 _"Why did you go up there?" She asked, confused._

 _He sighed, "Humans aren't really a fan of me. So I tend to stay away."_

 _She began to feel kind of bad for him, but wished she would give it another try. While Inuyasha would get weird looks sometimes, many villagers didn't bother him. And she hoped that people would normalize demon/human interaction instead of being so prejudice._

 _"If you're going to that village, I'll just wait for you somewhere else." He looked at her, somewhat seriously and somewhat playfully, "I'll be fine!"_

 _"But Kairo..." She sighed, "I might be there for a few days to do some healing."_

 _He looked down, scratching his head for a bit, before looking back up, "Ha! I've spent days alone before. I'll wait until you're ready to leave."_

 _"You could come with me ya know.." She hoped that he would change his mind, and she even put her brightest smile out on display, hoping he would comply. She didn't want to break her word to the woman, but also didn't want Kairo just waiting along for so long._

 _"No."_

 _And that was it. He shut her up with a serious look she wasn't even aware he could muster up. His experiences with other humans must have been that bad that he decided to just stay away from them entirely._

 _Well, except for her._

 _"Listen Kagome, go and do your job." He said, "I'll be fine. I promise."_

 _She slowly nodded her head, though not sure if she felt comfortable with this. She really felt like a bad friend for leaving. But she was a priestess and had an obligation not only to keep her word, but to help others._

 _So they went, and as they reached the outskirts of town, Kagome noted how close they were to the mountain._

 _"Listen, you get comfortable. I'm gonna go find a little cave at the base of the mountain." Kairo said, "Meet me here at dawn?"_

 _"Y-Yeah." And before she could speak again, he flew off._

* * *

Miroku opened the black door, shocked at how heavy it was. Though in reality, he knew it wasn't that surprising that Ninken wouldn't use an easily breakable door to protect his treasures. He was surprised it was even open.

When they stepped in, the place was huge with a tall ceiling. There were trinkets and mountains of gold everywhere. Finding the mirror was going to be hard.

If it was even there.

They split up, Inuyasha still sticking close to the priestess her searched through a massive pile of jewels. He watched her closely, while simultaneously trying to pick up Naraku's scent. Even the slightest scent. But unsurprisingly, he found that if Naraku was in the mirror, there would be no scent lingering.

Miroku approached Sango, who was on the side opposite of the priestess.

"Dear Sango, you seemed sick after seeing the deceased priestesses." Miroku stepped closer to her, watching open the drawers of a massive, glittery dresser, "You have seen many gruesome sights. Would you like to talk about why you were so affected?"

Sango looked at him briefly before continuing to scavenge, "We don't have time for this Miroku."

He sighed, "I don't want you to go against Naraku with something bottled up inside. Please, we can look and talk."

This time, she stopped. And stared blankly at the cabinet as if she were looking through it. Her body felt numb as her mind traveled back to the room.

"I-I know that Ninken had a deal to give Naraku Kagome when he was done with her..." She started, her voice shaky and unsure, "B-But just seeing her standing there among those corpses in that damned outfit... I couldn't help but see her with them. See her mangled body torn up, still positioned as if she was scared of being hurt again..."

She nearly collapsed as she confessed her sadness to the monk, who reached out to comfort her, sharing in her pain.

"She's my friend, Miroku." She sighed, "My first real friend after my family was killed. I can't stand her pain." This time, she was choking back tears. Miroku was quick to pull her into his arms, stroking her head with his hand.

"I know. And I know you will help her in anyway you can." He hugged her tighter, "Because you are a good friend."

Across the room, Kagome was relentlessly throwing things aside in a desperate attempt to find the mirror. Inuyasha noticed her hurry and began to search with just as much haste. He stopped watching her, realizing the best thing he could do was just focus on Naraku. She wants that just as much as him.

And only a few minutes after he had dropped his watchman position to dive into the giant mountain of gold, she found the mirror. And as she looked at it, she knew it was no doubt Kanna's.

And for a moment, she didn't say anything. Just held it in her hand, whispering Kagura's name, missing the way it sounded when she said hers back. The air around her seemed to slow. She wasn't sure if she was ready to hear the truth about Kagura. About what happened after all this time.

She hadn't seen her in years.

It wasn't until she had mentally prepared herself that she announced the discovery of the mirror, raising it up as she did. Her friends quickly gathered around her.

"What do we do?" Sango asked, focusing on the demonic object. She didn't know how to force Naraku out, or even go about doing anything with that damned mirror. She and Miroku had talked about using Kagome's spiritual powers on the mirror, but she wasn't that sure if it would work.

"Get out here you damned bastard!" Inuyasha growled, staring at it like he wanted to smash it straight to bits, "I'm gonna tear you to shreds!" Anger was rising as he anticipated this battle. They had done it. After years of looking, they had found the man who caused all this pain.

And he wanted him out so bad.

When nothing happened, Kagome held the mirror up to her face and, for the first time, she looked at her reflection, trying desperately to figure out who was inside.

As her reflection lingered on the glass, the mirror began to glow and shake. She immediately placed it on the ground. They all eyed it, getting ready for battle. The hanyou unsheathed Tessaiga, gripping it tight.

In a flash of light, a man appeared out of the mirror. His face was hidden by long black locks, although Kagome could see the flash of red behind them.

"Naraku!" Inuyasha yelped as he lunched with his sword. The evil demon quickly moved out of the way.

"Half-breed, I've got no time for you." He whipped his hair out of his face, revealing a sinister smirk on his pale face. He looked to Kagome, "I only want her."

Everyone looked over at the priestess who was glowing lavender. They all eyed her curiously.

"Look at me, Kagome. Then look down at your scars." He laughed, "That was all me."

"Well, Naraku, you bastard..." Inuyasha barked, "You failed! We rescued her. She ain't gonna be corrupted-"

He stopped. In fact, everyone did. The room when silent as attention was brought to the glowing priestess, whose lavender color was quickly fading to violet.

"You... You monster!" She shouted, her voice raspy and dark, "I promise to kill you. I promise that by my hand, you will feel what I felt."

"K-Kagome..." The hanyou whispered, unable to believe his eyes. She was letting darkness in her heart. The sight of her enemy had pushed her off of the edge. And she was becoming dangerous. Flickers of her aura were exploding off of her body like fireworks.

"Hehe. Damned fool of a woman." The evil demon kept his same grin on his face, "I won from the moment Ninken put you in his cell. No one could remain pure in there. Even after regaining freedom, you have wrapped yourself in bitter rage, unable to keep out the hate you have for me."

With that, he pulled out a tainted shard, watching it's dark glow, almost like he was looking at a diamond shining in the light. He chuckled again.

"Come, Kagome. Try to attack me." He dared, his arms open wide.

Before she could lunge, Sango threw her boomerang at him. He moved out of the way, but his cheek was grazed with it. He touched the mark but didn't seem to care much about the demon-slayer.

"Wind scar!" Inuyasha swung his sword swiftly, letting bursts of energy come forth from Tessaiga, launching it at his enemy. Naraku managed to put up a shield in time, much to the hanyou's dismay.

But instead of ignoring, Naraku this time lowered his barrier, allowing a black mass of demonic energy to form on his hand before throwing it at the hanyou, who leaped into the air to dodge it.

"Idiot half-breed. This priestess has already gone dark." He hissed at the half-demon, who was still in the air.

Suddenly, a pulse of energy was thrusted forward at Naraku, obliterating his left arm. While Inuyasha quickly looked at the source, the demon stared down at where his missing limb would be. The emptiness before him may have annoyed him at another time, but today, his expression remained calm as he soaked in the impure power that struck him.

Kagome stared maliciously at him, ready to launch another attack. Her previously brown eyes had become black, and her skin had become as pale as the moon. Power was once again beginning to pile up in her hands as she readied herself to throw it at him. In that moment, it was all she wanted.

Naraku slowly shifted his gaze to the glowing woman, feeding off of her bitterness, as if he had been starving for it. The rest of the room seemed to disappear to him. The mountains of golds and jewels melted away into nothing, becoming blurs as he watched what he considered to be his creation.

"Dammit..." Inuyasha muttered to himself, wishing that he had in fact left Kagome in the village. He couldn't let that jewel come in contact with her. Once it did, Hakudoshi could latch onto the darkness and manipulate her, creating the one weapon the gang would not be able to defeat.

"Naraku, you will die." The priestess's voice was practically slithering out from her mouth, sounding insatiable.

The evil demon approached her, fast, until their faces were a mere inches away from each other. The cold whispers of death traveled between them like a small breeze coming from absolutely nowhere.

"Priestess." He lifted the jewel shard to her face, "Dear priestess, take this." He was bringing it up to her forehead, where he planned on pressing it deep inside of her.

Kirara quickly transformed into her beastly form and lunged at him, sinking her fangs into his back, causing him to drop the jewel shard onto the floor.

Inuyasha knew this was his one chance, and he braced himself for the pain.

"Kagome!" He yelled as he leaped over to her, grabbing onto her despite her flaring aura. It was practically cutting through his skin, but she wasn't phased by it, even as he yelped from the pain.

Her aura was almost deadly to him, but he wanted to restrain her and bring her back down from her rage. To calm her. But after almost a minute, he realized that she didn't seem to notice him.

It was then that the mirror flashed again, a bright white light that swallowed the room whole momentarily, before dying down and revealing a woman.

"Kagura..." Miroku said, not knowing what to expect from her.

But she just stood there and looked at Kagome, who was still growling in her current state.

However, as their eyes met, the priestess almost instantaneously stopped, her aura turning back into a light lavender. It hurt the hanyou even more than the violet one, but he backed away seeing as she was back to normal. He hadn't the slightest clue what was going on though.

No one knew except for them. Kagura struggled not to call out to her. And so did her dear friend. Years had passed, and both were in shock. The demoness looked down at the ground, biting her lip as she did, looking to be somewhat in pain.

Kagome was still lit up with the spiritual energy surrounding her. Her gaze shifted to the demon, who was shaking Kirara off of his back. He was so close to her, so all she did was reach with her hand and touch him, and part of his body turned to dust. He was much stronger than Ninken, so her powers weren't quite able to destroy his whole body.

"Argh! Damn you, priestess." He shrieked, realizing that all but his head was turning to dust. Not like it mattered though. His heart had been taken out of his body, so he was immortal until that was destroyed. Still, he knew this battle was done for him. He assumed that the touch from the hanyou had helped her gain control of her powers again.

A barrier surrounded his head. With time, his body would regenerate, so he was not concerned about that.

"Kagura, grab the mirror." He ordered, and demon woman hesitantly obliged. Her pause had been noted by Kagome, who knew that she had no choice right now. As always, she had say in anything regarding Naraku because her heart was still in captivity.

So, Kagura did as she was told, joining Naraku in his barrier with Kanna's mirror in her delicate hands. She didn't take her eyes off of Kagome, though, just stayed watching her will sorrow filled eyes that only Kagome understood.

 _I know you must leave... But I am happy... I am happy that you are alive._ The priestess felt her heart stop beating momentarily as she watched the barrier break a hole through the roof as they escaped through the top.

"Dammit, dammit, dammit!" Inuyasha barked, "Damn him, damn both of them-"

"Inuyasha stop it." Kagome hissed as her aura died down. She felt the same fatigue as before, since most of her energy had been used, but still was well enough to scold the hanyou.

"Keh, what do ya mean stop? Kagome, those bastards are to blame for everything!" He tried explaining, but she only looked at him.

"Not Kagura."

Everyone watched her closely, trying to decipher what she meant. To them, Kagura was still evil. Another villain that needed to be disposed of as soon as possible. To them, it didn't make sense for her to defend the demon woman.

"Yes Kagura. She's his incarnation. And I'll rip her to shreds-" Just as the hanyou was going to continue his ranting, he was met with a word he hadn't heard in a while.

"Sit."

He fell face down onto the ground thanks to the beads around his neck. Only Kagome was able to utilize its power to stop the half-demon in his tracks when she thought fit.

"Did you hear me? Not Kagura." She repeated herself, her voice a contradictory combination of emotional and monotone, "She is... my friend."

Now that she knew the demoness was alive, she didn't have a reason to keep this a secret from her friends. She was with them now, but that wasn't going to stop her from continuing her mission of freeing her friend. And she wouldn't run away from them, either. Not again. Truth was, she needed them.

"What the hell are you talking about?!" The hanyou barked, "You must be really damn tired to think that. She ain't your friend, Kagome. We are."

Sango took a step forward, "Kagome, she's always tried to attack us, and has even targeted you. What do you mean she's your friend?" No one really understood it, so the priestess knew she had to explain.

"When I was kidnapped, she was the one who brought me my food... We would talk. I didn't have anyone else and I just needed someone..." She tried to explain, "She became my friend...and when I conjured enough power to break the barrier that held me... She was the one who set me free."

Silence rang through the room. This reveal practically knocked the wind right out of everyone, and they needed time to catch their breath. It was almost inconceivable to them that the demon woman was capable of anything else besides being just an evil henchman to Naraku. And they even toyed with the idea that Kagome was just delusional.

"She...saved you...?" Inuyasha questioned, "Keh, idiot girl. You can't possibly believe that she's capable of being anyone's friend."

"Sit. Sit. Sit." Kagome hissed, watching as his body kissed the ground three more time, "She saved my life! And I promised her that I would find her heart and free her!"

The hanyou quickly got up and rushed over to her, "Stop that, wench! She ain't nothing!"

Not in a million years would she have thought that her friends would just not believe her. He had even called her an idiot. Part of her wished that she had just kept quiet. Maybe she could even sneak away from them in the middle of the night if she refused to help her.

"You're an idiot, Inuyasha. And I will leave you if I have to in order to help her." Tears were beginning to form in her eyes, "I never thought you just would discard what I had to say."

He was dumbfounded. Kagome leaving again? It wasn't going to happen on his watch. But still, he couldn't seem to wrap his mind around the idea that Kagura could in fact be anything but evil. He had seen her after Kagome's capture all those years ago. And she never said anything to them. She hadn't helped them to save Kagome. She just continued to play the role of evil villain while Kagome was held captive in Naraku's castle.

"Please don't leave, Kagome." Sango whispered, turning her head to the side to avoid eye contact, "We need you."

Miroku agreed, and Kirara, now in her small form, brushed up against the priestess's leg, looking up at her with large, sad eyes.

"Maybe we should leave here and talk about this some more." Miroku declared, and the group agreed.

* * *

 _The villagers welcomed Kagome with open arms, everyone excited to finally have a priestess around to help them out. After hearing the older woman's story about how Kagome healed her ankle, the townsfolk practically bombarded the priestess with requests._

 _"My daughter's fever hasn't gone done in days!"_

 _"I broke my arm!"_

 _"My baby won't stop coughing!"_

 _They all hit her like a train coming at full speed, but Kagome was a priestess after all, and the purest one at that. So, she aided those who needed her, fixing broken bones, brewing herbal teas for sicknesses, and giving villagers advice on how to take better care of themselves. They were all extremely grateful as well._

 _"Oh wow! This priestess is the real deal!"_

 _"Lady Kagome, you are so smart!"_

 _"We've been blessed to have you enter our village!"_

 _She appreciated the compliments, but the plain truth was that she was mostly glad to help. It was like something inside of her always needed to be there for those who needed her most. Which included these townsfolk._

 _Even if it meant not being done until nightfall._

 _Kagome was given a modest hut to sleep in. It had a cot and some blankets so she knew she would be just fine staying in there for the time being, but when all the villagers seemed to retreat to their own homes, she took a walk out of village and towards the mountain._

 _She had grabbed her bow and arrow and made her way, and when she was close enough to the mountain, she began calling out._

 _"Kairo! Kairo, are you there?" It took a few minutes, but soon enough, he heard her and flew out to see._

 _"Hey Kagome!" He grinned, happy that she had made it out to see him tonight. He had been getting worried that she wouldn't even come back for him, "How was everything?"_

 _She shook her head, "I helped a lot of people there today. But there's not even a healer in the town! These people know nothing about taking care of themselves."_

 _He chuckled knowing that, despite her complaints, she wouldn't hesitate to help them. He secretly admired the way she had helped the older woman. Since they began traveling, Kagome had made it a point that she didn't want to waste any time if she didn't have to. But she ran to the woman's rescue and spent the entire day in some village helping the sick and needy. It was admirable._

 _"Well, it's a good thing you're there!" He declared, wrapping his arms around her and lifting her up into the night sky._

 _"Hey! What's the big idea!?" She growled as she was carried against her will._

 _"I'm just showing you my cave." Kairo shook his head. She could be the purest of the pure, but man did she yell at him a lot._

 _After his explanation, she remained quiet and let him take her without protest. When they landed, it was in front of a rather small cave with a fire still blazing inside of it. When they entered, Kagome realized that, aside from the fire, there was nothing else in here, which made her wonder why he was so eager to show her._

 _"See? Not bad, huh." He smirked, "And it's only a little while away from where your village is!"_

 _She managed to smile, happy that he wasn't completely miserable while she was staying in the town._

 _They both sat next to the fire, though across from each other. It wasn't necessarily cold, but Kagome still enjoyed feeling the warm from the flames. She looked up to see Kairo just staring at her, and then immediately averted her gaze somewhere else._

 _"Tell me about your friends." He said._

 _She still wasn't looking at him, "My friends?... Well, uh, there's Shippo. He's a sweet fox demon. Both his parents were killed so we took him in. He's such a great kid, honestly."_

 _He nodded his head, intrigued by the mention of another demon._

 _"Then, there's Miroku. He's a monk but he's also a womanizer. It gets him into a lot of trouble, but besides that, he's really wise." She continued, "Then, there's Sango the demon-slayer. She's definitely the fiercest warrior I know. But she also has a big heart."_

 _"Demon-slayer?" Kairo made a face, confused at the odd bunch of friends she had._

 _"Yeah, but she doesn't just kill any demons. Just the bad ones." She corrected, and as she realized there was just one member of the group left to talk about, she gulped nervously._

 _"Last but not least, there's Inuyasha. He's half-human half-dog demon. And he's the first person I saw when I traveled back in time. At first, he wanted to kill me, but we quickly became friends and traveled together. He's very stubborn, but secretly kind of sweet. He's hurt himself a lot in battle protecting the people he cares about..." She paused, realizing she was being much more detailed about him than the others, "...And that's it!"_

 _"A half-demon? That's interesting. Although he seems pretty dumb if he tried to kill you once." Kairo remarked, catching onto the fact that Kagome seemed to have a different relationship with him than the others._

 _"That was a long time ago. He'd never hurt me now." She clarified, the image of his face invading her mind, "He'd do anything to protect me..."  
_

 _Kairo stiffened, "Well, then maybe he's not an idiot." He watched her daydream while looking at the fire, and wondered what she was thinking about. He hadn't known her for too long, but still, he couldn't help but tense when she talked about Inuyasha._

 _"I can see why you're trying to find them..." He gulped, wishing Kagome would snap out of it and look back at him._

 _And to his surprise, she did, "I-I'm not...trying to find them right now." She admitted, biting her lip as she did. She felt guilty for it, too._

 _"What? What do you mean?" He questioned, feeling perplexed, "Why wouldn't be trying to find your friends? You clearly miss them."_

 _She shook her head, "It's complicated. I have an important mission I have to complete first."_

 _"What mission?" He asked, "You can tell me, y'know."_

 _She bit her bottom lip so hard, it almost bled. In truth, revealing her goal seemed somewhat forbidden to her. Without Inuyasha and the gang there to help her, having someone with her seemed weird. Could she really have someone else to confide in?_

 _"C'mon, Kagome."_

 _And she did. After a moment of hesitation, she told Kairo everything. She told him about being captured, her blossoming friendship with Kagura, the heart that she sought to rescue, and her decision to stay away from her friends._

 _He nervously gulped, trying to process all the information. On one hand, he could see why everyone wanted Naraku dead. All he could think about was that what he did to Kagome was terrible and disturbing. On the other hand, he understood her decision to not look for her friends. He knew it must be hard for her, since it was clear she missed them, but she was strong._

 _"Then I'm glad I'm here to help." He smiled, "I'll do whatever I can to help you find this Kagura's heart."_

 _Kagome returned the smile, feeling happy that she was finally able to tell someone about her lonely mission. And, in fact, it wasn't so lonely anymore. She had someone that was willing to help her, someone she felt comfortable with. And suddenly, she felt confidence and strength coursing through her._

 _With a friend like Kairo, she had no doubt that she could find Kagura's heart._

 **There are three things I want to address:**

 **1\. I know the infant is the canon character who has the power to control people by latching onto the darkness in their hearts. But I honestly didn't feel like writing him in. I just felt like Hakudoshi would be better because he didn't need to be carried around like the infant.**

 **2\. Sorry for the super lame Naraku scene. I wanted it to be more intense. But I'm bad at writing fight scenes.**

 **3\. Kagura's return sucked, I know. But LET ME EXPLAIN: So, Kagome can't afford for Naraku to know about her mission and friendship with Kagura, so she couldn't have a whole emotional scene like with Inuyasha. She had to play it cool. So sorry if it just seemed lackluster.**

 **Alright, so now that Naraku is back and Kagome clearly has darkness in her heart, what do you think will happen? Will Naraku be able to get a hold on her, or will she succeed, free Kagura and destroy him?**

 **Btw, reviews make me update faster so do it do it do it!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Intuition**

 **Hello hello! Sorry for the delay. It's been a rough time, but I haven't forgotten about this fic and I hope you guys haven't either. Just a quick refresher, they've found Naraku! In Ninken's castle! But Inuyasha refuses to believe that Kagura is good. Is he right about this?  
And in the past, Kagome finds a village in need and stays as their temporary priestess, while Kairo finds a cave nearby to rest, feeling uncomfortable around large groups of humans.  
(Sorry it's a shit refresher. But hopefully it's enough for everyone to remember what happened!)**

 **So, without further ado, here we go!**

Kagome sat on the beastly Kirara alongside Sango and Miroku. They were leaping out of the castle through the hole Naraku had made. Inuyasha was right beside them as they exited, feeling the rush of air as his feet took off from the ground. He loved the feeling all the same, no matter how many times he experienced it.

Their ascent to the sky was drenched in the sweet nostalgia, flowing swiftly like a waterfall. For a moment, it was almost as if they would never stop going up. As much as he hated being emotional, part of him wanted to stick his hand out to see if he could reach heaven.

Although, he had wished Kagome would have gone on his back. Her weight had always worked like anti-gravity, helping him flow higher almost as if she had wings of her own. As if she was the one carrying him. But he wasn't going to argue about it now. There was tension building in the forefront of his mind that he could feel pushing against his skull. Whenever he imagined Kagura, he could only see her sinister grin. She was evil. His mind could only reach the dark conclusion that she was tricking Kagome. In fact, as he traveled besides Kirara on their way to the mountainside, he had no doubts.

But Kagome would glance over at the hanyou with sad disbelief and rage. She would never leave Kagura to finish her life with no choice or control. Her mind was already made, and she was ready to lay in the depths of the consequences she would face for it. Even if it meant building this wall inbetween her and her friends.

They landed on a dirt path halfway down the mountain. Kagome, Sango, and Miroku slid off of Kirara's fur before the nekomata returned to her small form.

"Keh, I don't get why we gotta talk about this." Inuyasha grumbled, "It's clear that Kagura ain't anyone's friend but her own." He crossed his arms over his chest in defiance to the priestess whose eyes were narrowing in on him.

"Now, settle down, Inuyasha." Miroku said, "Kagome deserves to be heard. We have to consider what she's saying."

The half-demon mumbled something under his breath and shook his head before averting his gaze to the priestess. He felt his stubborn heart falter a bit at the sight of her, but made a point not to let it show.

"So, Kagome, tell us what happened. Tell us everything." Sango took a step closer to her friend, who nodded her head.

"When I was Naraku's prisoner, I was locked in one room. One awful room..." She began, biting her lip, "Both Naraku and Hakudoshi would come in to try to corrupt me, but it never worked. They'd say nasty things to me, trying to break me down. And the one person I saw everyday without fail was Kagura..." Kagome found herself averting her eyes, inhaling as she thought of words to use to explain this matter, "...At first, she was cold and angry for most of the time. But then, when she came to drop off my food, she would stay longer, and we'd talk more. She told me she despised Naraku and craved her freedom..." The air stilled around her, stopping to listen as she spoke.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, although he felt his heart strings being pulled on as he imagined Kagome locked up for all that time.

"Naraku would have her bring me the bare minimum: a fruit and water everyday. I was getting weak and so were my powers... But Kagura began giving me more food, telling me that if I practiced, I'd be able to break through the barrier on my door." She continued, "And she was right... I practiced and practiced. Naraku becoming a shell of himself every time he failed to use me... And when I was strong enough to break the barrier, she opened a portal to outside the mirror, and I... I promised her I would find her heart."

"Keh, is that all?" Inuyasha growled, though his mind began considering her story. He would never show it though. His brows remained furrowed together as a cold and stoic expression graced his face.

"That's it? She fed me! She freed me! She's my friend, Inuyasha..." Kagome hissed back at him, "All she wants is her heart. With it being in the hands of Naraku, she is forced to do what he says! No one deserves that!"

He flinched, but didn't budge. His gaze was focused on the dirt path below them. When not another word spilled from his mouth, the woman inhaled deeply.

"Fine. I'll look for it myself." With that, she began marching down the mountain by herself, but instead of taking the large, main path that led straight to the bottom, she turned to a small path of an unknown destination. It extended inbetween the greenery, and its width only welcomed one person at a time. It was clear that it was a rogue path that led around the mountain instead. She slowly disappeared.

"Will you ever grow up?" Sango barked, putting her hands on her hips. She began shaking her head as the shock of the argument wore off.

Inuyasha didn't respond, but rather, kept his arms crossed. The demon-slayer sighed heavily, pausing momentarily to think. Her eyes were viciously going back and forth from the ground to the distant hanyou.

"I'll go talk to her." She announced, "Miroku, keep this idiot under control." The monk stood a little dumbfounded, but mustered out a small nod while he himself attempted to process the best course of action for them all.

With that, she strutted off into the distance, following where Kagome had been going. She wandered down the small path until she found Kagome standing near a hot spring, her body leaned against a big rock. Her body seemed tired, as her shoulders were hunched over and her neck hung low.

When Sango approached her, she did so rather hesitantly. She understood why the half-demon was having a rough time with accepting the story, but also knew that Kagome wasn't an idiot. If she said Kagura saved her, then Sango would believe it.

"Hey! Wanna take a bath?" She suggested. Kagome turned around with a solemn look on her face. It was clear to the demon-slayer that, despite how hard she tried to sound confident in leaving them again, Kagome was hurt by Inuyasha's refusal to believe her. Her face was filled with hints of sorrow, and the light in her eyes had become rather dim.

"Yeah... I'd like that..." She whispered softly.

The two got undressed and slipped into the warm water, both feeling as if the heat could melt away all their problems. They sunk into the hot spring until all that was above the surface were their heads.

The priestess had immediately felt a spring of relief hit her as soon as she was free from the slave attire she had wanted to keep on. Originally, it hadn't been as heavy as it had become. In fact, it had gotten more unbearable to wear after strutting through the castle in it. She wasn't at all looking forward to putting everything back on.

"So, about Inuyasha..." Sango began, although she was quickly interrupted.

"No. I'm going to free Kagura no matter what any of you say." Kagome quickly announced, although she was met with hands defensively waving her off.

"Kagome, I will help you free Kagura. Don't worry about that." She smiled, sympathetically, "It's just...hard for Inuyasha to accept that Kagura isn't bad."

"Huh? What do you mean?" The woman asked, curiously. _Why wouldn't he be happy? She did save me._

"Less than a month after you got kidnapped, we saw Kagura again..." Her eyes averted to the steam that was continuously rising above them. "She attacked us in some village. When Inuyasha demanded she tell him about what happened to you...well, she said some awful things..." Sango took a deep breath, "She said you were suffering, and that you deserved it for being so weak. She had even told Inuyasha it was his fault. I think he believed it."

Kagome looked down at the waters, now feeling partially guilty for yelling at him. She hadn't realized that he was hurting too much to accept Kagura. When Kagome was gone, all he saw in Kagura was one of the people hurting her.

"It's just hard for him to see her as anything other than a threat to us...to you." She continued, hoping that this explanation was enough for the priestess to stick around and try to work things out with the stubborn hanyou. Even after all this time, he still didn't know how to effectively communicate and he was still too stubborn to fix it.

"I-I understand. You're a good friend, Sango." Kagome whispered, almost inaudibly. It was all she could say as her body lowered further beneath the water.

The rest of their time in the hot spring was silent, although they would catch each other taking glimpses of the other, secretly wishing they could start gossiping like they used to, but quickly remembering that they weren't the same people they were before. They didn't know how to approach each other in that way. It was as if the time they had spent as dear friends was in another life. Strangers who somehow knew each other. And somehow cared deeply.

And at one point, Kagome nodded towards the demon-slayer, who instinctively knew that it was time to go back. They rose, drops of water aggressively spilling from their hair and traveling down their skin, and moved slowly back to land. The priestess's arm automatically went to cover her chest, and she felt stupid after. This wasn't a creepy guard or something. It was Sango. And she wasn't looking.

When they were clothed, they traveled back the rogue path until they met the men, who were sitting, patiently.

Inuyasha had smelled her scent and known that Kagome was approaching. But he did his best to seem undisturbed by her arrival. His eyes were kept closed to bring about the illusion of sleep.

Miroku had tried to talk some sense into him, but the half-demon was not having it. When the women got close to them, the monk had sent them a sympathetic look, smiling a bit but shrugging as he looked over at Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha." Kagome said, sternly. He didn't stir though. "Inuyasha, look at me."

This time, he did open his eyes, slowly revealing the golden orbs that were hidden behind the lids. He looked at her, but didn't speak.

"Come with me."

"Keh, why?" He questioned, "You already know damn well how I feel about Kagura."

"You're going to come with me, or I'm going to s-i-t you to death." She growled, already feeling whatever sympathy she had for him slipping away. He scoffed, but stood up, facing her.

She turned her back to him, walking back towards the rogue back, and he hesitantly followed her. She led him back towards the hot spring, but stopped at the rock she originally had been leaning on. She pressed her hand against it, before turning back to him, her expression just as serious as it had been.

"She was jealous, you know." The woman began, feeling her knees get weak, "She wanted what I have. To feel what I've been able to feel."

He was about to speak, but she silenced him with her eyes begging for him to listen.

"She never had a chance. Like me. Like you. To make her own life." She closed her eyes and turned her head for a second, thinking carefully. But slowly, she looked back at him, "Would I be Kagome if I didn't try to save her. If I knew all that I know about her, and I walked away, I would have become another person."

"So what?!" He retorted, wanting to just have her, even if he couldn't deny what she was saying, "I ain't gonna push aside all she's done. She's been our enemy. She'd kill us so Naraku wouldn't kill her... Besides, you're always trying to save people as a part of your to-do list. You're gonna lose yourself if you don't start living for yourself!"

"She's never been given a reason to care about anyone else!" Kagome defended, "You don't think it was a risk to free me? Naraku would have killed her if he knew... If I don't try, I would have already lost myself..." She pressed her hand harder against the large stone, eventually just balling it into a small fist.

"I can't leave her. So what's your choice?" Her voice was small.

"Stupid girl. Of course I ain't gonna let you run off and play hero by yourself. But don't expect me to go out of my way for her." He growled, knowing full well at this point that her mind wasn't changing. He didn't want to be without her. But he wouldn't save Kagura. He'd only protect Kagome.

"I'll kill her if she tries anything." He declared, watching as she sighed and nodded.

"So... you choose me?" It was a question reminiscent of their past, and she hadn't realized it until it came out of her mouth. Blush began to creep up on her face but she shook the heat away, still waiting for him to respond.

He paused, feeling shyness coat his tough skin, "...You really are stupid... Why wouldn't I?"

And she knew it was enough for now. He would be there for her. And she didn't have to be alone. She was partly relieved and partly unsatisfied with his refusal to help her, but there was no more energy within herself to keep pushing him.

So, she smiled at him, "I am stupid, aren't I?"

He looked taken back, his amber eyes widening into two large circles on his face.

"Let's go. We should try to at least make it a little further down this mountain before setting up camp." She quickly added, feeling a bit refreshed and ready to continue onward with everyone by her side. The coolness of the approaching evening hung stuck in the atmosphere, begging to be felt. A small shiver traveled through Kagome's spine as she took steps forward, passing the half-demon, but not before grabbing his wrist. He scoffed but didn't protest. Her delicate fingers wrapped around him like silk ribbons.

They made it back, meeting their fellow companions, who both seemed to be nervously waiting. They sat a mere inches away from each other, though neither had said much. Miroku had tried to gather his thoughts with Sango, but found that he still didn't know what to think of the whole situation. But when they saw Inuyasha and Kagome returning as they did, they immediately lightened up, jumping to their feet and happily moving forward..

"Well, this is certainly a nice turn of events, is it not, sweet Sango?" The monk cheered, smiling at the demon-slayer, who blushed.

"Don't call me that, lecher." She barked.

"What? I am merely stating that I find you to be extremely sweet." He defended, staring her up and down. He extended his hand towards her backside, but was met with a heavy slap before he could reach.

The blush that showed on her face quickly reddened with anger, "Pervert!"

Kagome smiled. The familiarity comforted her.

They walked down the mountain until darkness took over, leaving nothing but the moon and stars to decorate the black void that was the night sky. Everyone but Inuyasha and Kirara slowed their movements, indicating a desire to settle down for the night.

"You humans are so weak." The half-demon grumbled as everyone prepared to sleep in a sizable patch of grass close to the path. They all ignored him though, quickly finding good spots. He, too, settled down right next to Kagome. Of course, rather than lying down, he just sat with his legs crossed as he had been doing for years.

As the minutes passed, the soft snoring of Miroku and Sango filled the air. They were almost in sync as they breathed. Kagome on the other hand, twisted and turned viciously. For some reason, she couldn't get comfortable.

"Keh, what's wrong?" Inuyasha asked in a hushed voice. One eye was open and focusing on her aggressive movements. She turned her face to meet his gaze, but just shrugged instead of actually answering.

He rolled his eyes before speaking again, "Where do ya even plan on looking for this heart?"

She paused, wondering why he was bringing it up at She pondered the possibility that he'd been thinking about it for a while but didn't want to ask. "...I don't know. The heart could be anywhere... But I just have a feeling that it's not too far from here."

"A feeling?"

"Yeah. Call it intuition. But I can feel it." She replied, looking up at the moon. The dim light shined down on her light face, causing her brown eyes to sparkle as she spoke. The half-demon noted this but shrugged it off.

"So you just wanna stay around here and look for that damned heart?"

She shot him a disapproving look, "Yes. If it's such a burden, you can leave." She felt petty for saying it, but it was one thing she wanted to get through his head. She was going to look for Kagura's heart no matter what he thought about it.

A soft growl emitted from his throat, "Damn it, Kagome. I ain't leaving you again, got that?"

"Inuyasha..."

A soft breeze blew through the both of them as she watched him carefully. _Sometimes I forget that he's just as passionate and dedicated as he is arrogant._ Still, she was happy to hear that from him. And she hoped he understood her choice to remain loyal to Kagura.

Without another word, both of them fell asleep, joining their friends in a deep slumber for what they hoped would last until morning.

However, as the night ventured on and hours passed, Kagome found herself wide awake again, feeling as though she heard someone calling her name in her sleep. She assumed it would have been the silver haired half-demon, but when her eyes shot open, she found that he was fast asleep, his head leaned back against the trunk of a tall tree.

 _Well, that was odd. I swore I heard someone-_

"Kagome." Her name seemed to almost travel with the wind, as if it were being specifically delivered to her ears. It sounded like precious wind chimes gently tapping against each other.

The woman sat up and looked around, but saw nothing but the dark shadows that rested upon her sleeping friends. She tried to shrug it off as some hallucination, but couldn't shake the whisper, replaying it's beautiful sound over and over again. She, again, looked over at the peaceful Inuyasha, looking for some clue that he was playing a trick on her. The whisper had no tone, and there was no way to indicate whose voice it was, but there was that precious hint of velvety sweetness that was wrapped around her name that made her undeniably suspicious of him.

But he was still, the rising of his chest ever so consistent.

"Kagome." It happened again, and was so real that the woman shot up to her feet, looking around dangerously to find the whisper's source. She took a few steps away from their camp, glancing cautiously over at her sleeping friends.

"Please. Come, my dear." The whisper beckoned and Kagome took a few more steps away, still hesitant though now she was curious.

As her legs led her on, a figure appeared leaning against a large tree. Before her body came into view, her scarlet eyes flashed in the priestess's direction and, without hesitation, the priestess ran in the figure's direction, wrapping her arms around her tightly.

"K-Kagura... you're here..." She sobbed quietly, feeling the familiar warmth.

The demoness didn't hesitate to hug back, her small arms raising and wrapping around the other woman, "You are much too affectionate, girl..."

They separated. Kagome noted that Kagura looked but the exact same, not a hair out of place. Her fierce gaze was just as it had been, and now it was directed towards the priestess.

"Well, you are not that of a girl anymore." The demoness observed, staring her up and down. The sight of her uniform made the space where her heart should be weep, causing a heightened awareness of the empty space.

Kagome sighed, "Why are you here? Isn't it dangerous?"

"No. Naraku ordered me to locate you." She explained, "He said that, if the opportunity presented itself, I should take you and return to Kanna's mirror... Obviously I won't do that, but I will warn you."

The priestess cocked an eyebrow, "Warn me?"

"Yes. I know you, Kagome. I know you plan on still hunting down my heart." She continued, the look of urgency marking her pale face, "But you must stop. Now, it is too dangerous for you... What he put you through... could have been prevented if you had gone back to your time."

Shocked, the priestess took a step back. While Kagura's wishes were not surprising, as she had once before requested that Kagome remain hidden to be safe, her reasons were dull.

"Stop looking?" She questioned, "Only I know what happened within Ninken's reign of terror. And if I had thought that I'd been through enough, I would have already asked Inuyasha to take me home... I can't stop now."

"You're an idiot, Kagome." Kagura hissed, "...But I cannot allow this. You must go home! Naraku will hurt you. Use you. And when he's done, he'll kill you."

Standing as straight as she could, Kagome took in a huge puff of air, "You listen to me, Kagura, I will find that heart of yours. I don't care what you say about it. If I give up on you now, all that time would have been wasted. The time I've been without my friends. The time I've been in my cell. All wasted."

They were in each other's faces now, clear annoyance with the other expressed through furrowed brows and crinkled up noses.

But, as the rage induced tornado continue to whirl between the two, the demoness took a step back, a disappointed expression now displayed. She looked to the ground as if not ready to look back up at Kagome. And the truth was, she didn't want to. She knew this was in vain, and that Kagome would continue to search no matter what, but the guilt she knew she would bear if Naraku got to her was preparing a home inside her head. She needed a moment as the what-ifs played out reluctantly.

"You know you are my friend." Kagome whispered, seeing the despondency in her eyes, "I can't leave you like this."

"...You would not be leaving me, fool." Kagura insisted, her gaze not leaving the shadowy grass beneath her, "I've...gained so much from you... That my life isn't so bad as it was."

Touched, the human couldn't help but smile, her lips slowly turning upwards, "I've been changed too. I am braver. Stronger. For you."

"That you are."

For a while, the moments were filled with comforting silence that beckoned for more than it could bring. Still, Kagura managed to raise her gaze up at her friend. Brown eyes colliding with scarlet like a mix of warm autumn colors.

"You've spent five years not living for Kagome. Five years I can see growing weary on your face. Don't forget how to love yourself, girl. You will become blank." The demoness spoke, breaking the stilling quiet, "You are still a person." From inside of her kimono, she pulled out a small bottle filled with a dozen little pinkish purple shards.

"The-The jewel shards!" Kagome exclaimed. It was indeed the bottle she had put her shards in before Naraku took them while in Kanna's mirror. They were all there.

"It's better off with you... He kept yours on one of his shelves, untouched and covered in dust." She explained, "I stole it. I am sure that if he searches for it, he will assume he misplaced it. The bottle hasn't been touched since you escaped all those years ago."

Kagome nodded, watching the powerful shards closely before extending her hands to accept this gift from her. What Kagura was doing -openly betraying Naraku- was dangerous.

"Does...he know you are the one who opened the portal and let me escape?" She questioned.

"No. He thinks your powers temporarily purified Kanna's mirror, and that somehow your powers created a portal." The demon answered, thinking back to that fateful day. Remembering the overwhelming sensation of loneliness that filled her the minute the portal closed post-Kagome's departure was difficult. And yet, she'd do it again if she had to.

"And... Where have you been?" Kagome asked, "...All these years."

Kagura shook her head, "Shortly after you left, Naraku went crazy. He had us searching, devising plans, creating incarnations that just kept failing..."

She stopped, but Kagome's eyes begged for a better answer.

"He... locked us all away after that. Said he needed to remain out of sight for a while. We were all in separate rooms, hopelessly stuck. Hakudoshi, Kanna, Kohaku... all of us were trapped."

Unsure of what to say, Kagome thought back to her room, remembering the small space and emptiness within it. Naraku had truly shown her despair. The ugliness of his actions had her shaking tremendously, almost as if the hurt had possessed her. Kagura quickly noticed and put a delicate hand on her shoulder.

"No need to overwhelm yourself. I'm okay." She insisted, and while it helped, the priestess still felt the undeniable sadness coursing within her.

Kagome took a deep breath, "I will not stop... You'll be free one day." Kagura couldn't help but give her a weak smile in return, admiring her dedication. She had never known someone who would give her safety and happiness a second thought.

"I must go. Naraku will be expecting me. I won't tell him anything, though..." The demoness sighed, "Be safe, Kagome."

Again, the sound of her own name caught her off guard as Kagura's giant feather was summoned and it whisked her away into the night. Kagome looked down at the bottle of shards in her hand and then clenched it tight. She would do good for her friend. All the sacrifices that she made wouldn't be in vain. Not only would she get the heart, but she would put an end to Naraku and the Shikon Jewel.

She tiptoed back to camp, replaying the conversation over and over again. She knew she should do herself a favor and get a good rest, but her mind was overwhelmed, the dialogue rapidly screaming in her head. She took a seat a little closer to Inuyasha than she had been, but didn't lie down yet. Just watched him, wishing he knew what she did about Kagura, but knowing that she needed him all the same.

 _You will come around, Inuyasha. I know you will. I trust you will._ She thought optimistically. His first priority right now was undoubtedly her. And she knew it, which is why she was able to accept his hesitance to accept Kagura so far. But she had faith he would change. He's always been there for her.

"Goodnight, doggy-boy." She whispered to herself, prompting his ears to flicker at the sound. He didn't wake, though a small smile graced his face. She finally lowered her back to the ground, letting her eyes shut and falling back asleep.

* * *

 _Kagome woke up in the little one-room hut that the villagers had for her to stay in. She rubbed her eyes, feeling somewhat refreshed after her conversation with Kairo last night. This whole time, her entire story had been a secret, which she could finally reveal in its entirety. The weight of her journey lifted considerably now that she had an ally she could count on. And it was odd. She hadn't known Kairo for a very long time. And yet, she just couldn't help but feel an undeniable sense of loyalty that extended from his very being. And she trusted it._

 _The priestess noted her bow and arrow in the corner and a pile of fresh clothes for her as well. She had been used to traditional priestess garb, but all that was there were cloth kimonos in various colors. She didn't mind obviously. In fact, she was grateful that the villagers would give her anything. But the lack of traditional attire spoke more to the fact that villagers hadn't had a priestess here in a long time._

 _The priestess rose to her feet, raising her arms in the air and arching her back as she stretched the tiredness out of her body. Her dark hair flowed in waves down her back. She quickly changed into a light blue kimono._

 _"Well, time to start the day." She smiled to herself, ready to help the villagers with what they needed and then go out on a hunt for Kagura's heart._

 _But it was as soon as the words escaped her lips that a loud scream could be heard from outside. It was a shrill call for help that echoed through her little hut, urging her to run to the rescue. Kagome grabbed her bow and arrow and ran._

 _"Oh thank goodness! Dear priestess, we are being attacked!" One of the village men ran up to her, ax in hand. He was younger, tan and quite handsome. And he also looked ready to run into battle, "Lizard demons have infiltrated the town!"_

 _"Huh?" She asked, recalling the lizard she had encountered several days before. She had killed it, but now she was worried that its friends caught her scent at the scene of the crime and tracked her all the way here. She didn't know much about lizard demons, but it was definitely a possibility._

 _The man tugged on Kagome's arm a bit, his expression pleading with her to move forward, "We haven't any time!"_

 _She ran with him until she saw several demons charging at the innocent villagers. Many were running away, but some other men had already arrived at the scene, weapons in hand. The swung at the demons, but did little damage._

 _"Rey! You've brought the priestess!" One of the men shouted, waving his hand and pointing at the very obvious enemy. A loud sound erupted from the demons as they noticed her arrival, all picking up on her scent as she got closer. But she stood her ground, squaring her eyes at them, ready to defend these poor people._

 _Quickly, Kagome readied herself to shoot at them. She stood tall, aiming carefully with hopes that she would only need one bow for each of them._

 _She let go, and the bow was covered in lavender light as it soared through the air, hitting one straight through its head. From the neck up, there was nothing as the body fell to the ground, blood outpouring._

 _The men seemed very impressed, until the tail of another demon crashed down on one of their huts. Though it had been evacuated, everyone looked devastated at the attack on their property. These people didn't have much, which meant they valued all of what they owned, and if that hut homed a small family, it would cost a hefty price for someone to rebuild it._

 _Guilt suddenly poured through as she realized that this invasion could be all her fault. If their intentions involve revenge, that meant they've been following her scent and all these innocent townsfolk have just been caught in the middle of a fight that they can't handle._

 _"I know what I have to do." She whispered, causing Rey, who led her to the scene, to give her a puzzled look._

 _"Do you need assistance, priestess?" He asked, but she shook her head._

 _"I'm gonna get these demons outta this town. You all stay here to protect everyone else!" She shouted, looking back at the men to ensure no one followed. They were puzzled, but heavily respected her authority as the only one here with a real shot at killing these enemies. They shrugged and retreated back towards the center of town to check up on the rest of the townsfolk._

 _Kagome, on the other hand, bolted out of the village, running as fast as she possibly could, her legs speeding at a pace she didn't know was possible for her. She would lure them out and take care of them when she got far away enough. Lucky for her that these weren't wolf demons, or she would never be able to run fast enough to avoid them._

 _"Wolf demons, huh? I've gotta be kidding myself right now." She smirked, making it to the base of the tall mountain and stopping. She knew she could expect some backup here, given that Kairo's place had to be somewhere near._

 _She turned, the lizards coming into view, charging at her, rage induced growls emanating from deep within. She pulled out her bow and an arrow, getting ready to kill another as they approached. One out of the few that was there stepped forward, challenging her. There was a look of betrayal that flashed like a ray of sun through its beady eyes, one that seemed even painful._

 _"Is that...because of me?" She asked quietly, though not lowering her aim._

 _Suddenly, she heard a voice from behind her, "Kagome! I can't leave you alone for a second, can I?!"_

 _She knew Kairo was behind her, ready to protect if he needed, although, the priestess was devising another plan in order to end this battle before it even began. Her heart surged as she stretched the arrow back, one eye closed, ready to shoot her shot as the lizard began running at her._

 _And she shot._

 _But instead of aiming for the head, she hit its leg, the powerful arrow whipping past and scraping its scaly body. The demon halted, realizing the wound made moving extremely painful for it, and it hollered in pain before lowering its gaze on the priestess again, this time, with a look of confusion._

 _"Hey, listen to me! I know you're upset about your friend. And we're sorry. But we don't want to kill anyone, demon or not!" Kagome shouted, something inside just telling her that they could understand, "We were attacked and defended ourselves. We didn't hunt your friend down and strike. And we don't want to kill you either."_

 _She grabbed another bow, aiming it now at the injured demon's head, "But if you continue to attack, I will be forced to kill you. And you will have gained nothing but more pain for yourselves. I am truly sorry for your loss, but it would be best if you all returned to your home and mourned your friend properly."_

 _At first, the demons stood in shock. Almost as if her words and her mercy was just too unthinkable for them to even fathom. She was a priestess and they were demons, it should have just been instinctual for her to end them. But here she was, offering them one last chance, as if she would feel guilty to kill what she should see as monsters._

 _Then, one by one, the demons began to lower their heads, as if nodding at her in agreement. The injured demon turned and limped slowly back to the others, who waited until they could all retreat together. She couldn't believe her plan actually worked, but she was happy that no one else had to die today. And she sympathized the lizards who were merely mourning the loss of a loved one. She wondered briefly about the backwards idea that demons must always be the bad guys and humans must always be good. In their eyes, she was probably seen as the bad guy at first. When in reality, it was more of just a big misunderstanding._

 _"Whoa... Kagome, you just spared some demons who tried to attack you..." Kairo muttered in words laced with disbelief as they left his mouth. Part of him couldn't believe she would risk her well-being by trusting them, but the other part admired to tendency to flow against the norm. No other human would hesitate to kill a demon if they had even the slightest of reason to. But she didn't regard them as lowly creatures. She acknowledged their lives as valuable to save._

 _"Oh, Kairo, it was nothing. They were just upset. It didn't mean they were all bad." She shrugged, turning to smile at him, "But... since we're out here, wanna start looking for the heart?"_

 _He saw her warm expression and couldn't help but just chuckle in response, "If you want!"_

 _Kagome's eyes darted over to the path that led up the mountain, wondering if it would be a good direction to start. It wasn't like she had any other leads, and this seemed to be the closest path for them to explore._

 _"Let's go up the mountain." She declared, beginning her way up. Kairo floated besides her, focused as they began their journey._

 _"We should be careful, though." He commented, earning an odd look from his friend who was confused._

 _"What do you mean?" She asked, not understanding his worry. They always tried to be careful._

 _He shook his head, "If we go too far up, we'll be in fire demon territory. Which could get a little dangerous. I don't know how territorial they can be if we trespass."_

 _She nodded in understanding, realizing that this meant Kairo had probably already scanned over the area to note the fire demons. She smiled inwardly at the thought. He was such a good friend for her to have, she couldn't believe she almost blew him off when they first met._

 _"How do you plan on finding this heart anyways?" He wondered, thinking of the problem they'd have if they had to just turn every rock on the mountain to make sure it wasn't there._

 _Kagome laughed at this, though, already knowing what he was thinking, "I just... I just know I'll feel it. Whether that means intuition or just using my priestess abilities, I'll just know its near." Her confidence made it nearly impossible for him to disagree, so he smiled, trusting that she was right. He wanted her to be free of this mission so she could be happy._

 _They stalked up the mountain, taking in all the greenery as they passed, Kagome noticing a few rogue paths that she would go back to eventually. They wandered until Kairo was sure they were getting close to the demon territory. He paused, looking over and seeing a short man exiting a rogue path back onto the main one with a basket filled with fruit._

 _He looked over, giving the two a dirty look and rolling his eyes, "Strangers, huh?"_

 _Kagome sensed his weak demonic aura, figuring he was a fire demon. She scanned his tanned body, noting his older age, but not missing the look of disgust that marred his face._

 _"We're not yet trespassing, demon." Kairo hissed, not liking the man's attitude, especially the looks he was giving Kagome._

 _"The name is Goru." He grumbled, "And I don't care if you trespass. The Fire Demon kingdom is going to shit, anyways." He shook his head and cackled as he thought back to his pathetic home._

 _"What do you mean?" Kagome took a step forward, feeling sympathetic now for those who lived in the territory. If it was going to shit, it meant that the lower class was probably getting screwed over to maintain the elites before everything completely crumbled._

 _"Heh, does the cute little girl wanna help? Hehe. This ain't your business, stupid priestess. It's a dog eat dog world." He snickered, "Now, scram. I don't care where you go, as long as you get outta my way." He paused, looking Kagome up and down, "Unless, there's something else you're looking for, heh." A creepy grin was plastered on his face for a while, up until a low growl could be heard from deep within Kairo, who was less than pleased with the man's suggestive tone. Rolling his beady eyes, Goru decided to back off. They eyed each other a bit, an uncomfortable silence slowly drifting over them and loomed like an omniscient presence._

 _With that, the little man hustled up with his food, not bothering to take a second look back at the perplexed Kagome and pissed Kairo. She was happy to have her friend here to defend her from old creepy demons, even if she could have easily taken care of him if the threat seemed real. But still, she couldn't help but send her sympathy to the rest of the kingdom._

 _"You are too compassionate." Kairo huffed, knowing exactly what the girl was thinking, "Fire demons are tricky little things. You can't trust 'em."_

 _"That's not fair, Kairo. He was just one creepy demon, but it doesn't mean they all are." She shot back. She had never seen a fire demon besides Goru, but she knew that she shouldn't judge them based on a single interaction._

 _But Kairo shook his head, "There's always variation in a group. Some that aren't like the others. But instincts are instincts, and fire demons have always been sneaky, doing anything they can to survive... So yeah, maybe there's a few good ones in the mix, but they're mostly the same."_

 _"I think you're being mean." She stuck her tongue out, but not really wanting to argue. They could both agree that something was off about that one demon, something that truly made her stomach lurch when he looked at her, but she always tried her best to not let the negatives get to her._

 _He noticed her playful demeanor and just chucked, "Well, maybe one day you'll meet the king of that kingdom, and you can let me know if he's just as big of an ass."_

 _They two wandered back down the mountain, the priestess taking extra care to sense the area, looking for any unusual auras or any leads that would help her find Kagura's heart. She felt disappointed in her lack of findings as they reached the base of the mountain again, but promised herself she wouldn't get discouraged. And it was easy to remain relaxed when she had her bird demon companion by her side._

 _She looked over at him and smiled as they began heading back in the direction of the village, "I should be going now... The villagers are probably going crazy since I've been gone so long."_

 _He frowned inwardly but kept up his same giddy exterior, "Well, I will be seeing you tomorrow then, right?" He tried to steady his heart as it dawned on him that he really didn't like saying goodbye to her._

 _"Of course! And the hunt will continue!" Her sing-song voice and attitude was all he needed to comfort him as she turned to leave. He know he shouldn't watch her like some lecher, but he just couldn't look away. It was innocent, with no ogling over her curves or hard staring at her backside to see the way her hips moved with each step she took. He was just watched her. Taking in her scent in the most purest of ways. He would be patient in his wait, but his thoughts would be of her._

* * *

As the sun's light spilled over the dark skies, bringing to life the bright blues and fluffy clouds, the gang found themselves waking from their slumber, one by one. Well, of course, everyone but the hanyou, who had slept for a few hours but hadn't need as much sleep as everyone else. He inhaled as the priestess shifted her body, rising up into a sitting position and rubbing her eyes.

But it wasn't Kagome's awakened state that caused a shift in his breathing, it was the bottle in her hand that he seemed to recognize, its familiarity scaring him a bit.

"K-Kagome... is that..." He mumbled, his gaze never moving from her hand. The rest of the group slowly sat up as well, all following his line of vision to her hand, eyes widening as they realized what had to be in that bottle.

Kagome, realizing now that all the attention was on her, straightened her back and extended her arm, opening the palm of her hand and revealing the bottle with the jewel shards shining inside, "Kagura came to me last night."

Everyone's mouth dropped, as expected. She knew she'd receive such a reaction, but kept up a professional exterior to further explain everything, "She stole the jewel shards back from Naraku and gave them to me. Risking her life in the process." Her eyes flashed with emotion momentarily, as she thought back to her friend, knowing that at this moment, she was back in Naraku's clutches. Kagura's safety would never be ensured as long as she was with him.

"Well, this is quite the gift." Miroku commented, "Perhaps, we really do have an ally on the inside."

The priestess nodded, "Of course we do." A small grin crept on her face as she thought of their relationship, having been so brief yet so moving to her. She wished everyone in the group could feel what she felt.

"Keh, well if she wants to openly betray Naraku like that, I won't say no." He grumbled, still watching the shard's lavender glow. He had to admit that this was not something he expected of the demoness, and he wondered if, perhaps, Kagome had managed to change her for the better. He felt like an ass for fighting with her about it. It wasn't like he didn't know the ways in which the priestess was able to capture the affection of those around her, in fact, he experienced it.

However, whether or not she had been changed, he wouldn't risk putting his full trust in her. Protecting Kagome would be his top priority, especially now. And he wasn't going to let her mission get in the way of her safety. If she wouldn't put herself first, he sure as hell would.

The others continued to talk and the priestess disclosed only a few more details about her and Kagura's conversation, wanting to keep the more intimate details between them two. When Miroku and Sango were satisfied, an uncomfortable silence loomed over them.

"We should get going then." Kagome got up, jewel shards in hand, and motioned for everyone to follow her example.

"Keh, where do you even plan on going right now?" Inuyasha questioned.

"I wanna stay and explore around the mountain." She replied, smiling to herself, "I didn't have a clear feeling before. I knew I had to stay around the area, but... I just know it has to be here."

 **So, I know people must be completely confused about what's going on with the two times. I know what goes on in the past sometimes contradicts what's happening in the future. Trust me, it'll all make sense, although I wouldn't mind some guesses!**

 **Anyways, reviews really do make me update faster. I love you all and I've already started on the next chapter! Let me know what you think!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: To Feel Again**

 **I am soooo sorry for the delay. I feel like I say this every time. But this chapter is pretty long and packed so I hope you can forgive me. Thank you for everyone who has kept up with it so far.**

 **So, just as a refresher:**  
 **In the past, Kagome spares some lizard demons after they tried to get their revenge. Her and Kairo run across Goru who she obviously doesn't know yet.**  
 **In the future, Kagura returns the jewel shards Naraku stole to her. Inuyasha is still hesitant about trusting her but he lightens up a bit.**

The winding trails of the mountain kept the gang on their feet, with Kagome doing her best to sense anything that would bring her to the heart she so desperately sought out. Very briefly would they cross paths with a fire demon, and never would the demon attack. By now, Inuyasha and the gang were very well-known across what was left of the kingdom, and while hate laced the gossip, so did fear. So, small groups of them would run away or at the very least be sure to not provoke them as they passed. Although, Kagome was very aware of their hardened glances at her.

And yet, as the day was spent venturing around, finding small caves and hot springs, she remained strong-willed, ever so focused on the goal. Her senses were flaring like flames of a burning fire, her aura even sparking around her skin at some points. It felt like a renewed sense of strength was surging through her body. Dedication became adrenaline, it was her greatest power. Kagome had always been able to channel her unconditional care for others into strength, however, this was new. It was surreal.

But there was quietness, too. Mouths shut, almost unsure of how to open up now. Even Inuyasha was cautious, biting his tongue before he said anything. He kept telling himself that everything would be okay now that she was here, but since they began their search, he only felt the ghost of her in front of him, sensing that if he were to reach out, he his hand would go right through her. He was never good with words, and not much had change in that aspect of him even in the five years he waited for her. But he wasn't dumb enough to let his mouth get himself into more trouble.

The day went on, though, despite everyone's reservations.

Sango watched her old friend carefully. Eyeing her almost as if she was trying to find something within Kagome that she failed to recognize since her return. The demon-slayer found herself mesmerized by her observations. An observation that she held deep in her throat.

"There's a cave over there. I'm gonna check it out." The priestess spoke, her voice as serious as the expression on her face. Her walk turned into a slight jog as she left the group. Inuyasha sniffed around to make sure no demons were nearby, scanning the area with his golden orbs as he normally did. But he found nothing but a small lake that rested besides the little cave.

The continued silence that had since plagued the group shattered momentarily when the demon-slayer dared to outwardly sigh, the heavy breath gathering the attention of the two men.

"My dear Sango, is there an issue?" Miroku questioned, leaning in close to examine the bitter expression that she wore.

She looked up at him, "Of course there is. I can't be the only one right now with concerns about this whole situation."

"You mean with our own Lady Kagome." The monk nodded his head, affirming what Sango had been seeing. He looked over in the direction of the cave and noticed she was now walking back, clearly without the heart in hand.

"Her eyes now look like that of the dead." Sango shivered as she let the words drip from her lips, the image of the dullness prevalent in the priestess's gaze.

Inuyasha didn't say anything, though. He hadn't really wanted to even accept that Kagome did seem worn out. One of the stark contrasts between Kagome and Kikyo's physical features was that exhaustion was branded on Kikyo's features from the life of giving in which she lived. Everything else about them had looked the same besides that. Seeing that same weary look in Kagome's eyes made him fear that she would retain the same fate as the preincarnation.

But upon hearing Sango say it, the realization became a heavy burden that pulled down his spirits. He couldn't ignore it anymore. She was giving herself out too much.

Kagome returned, saying nothing about the contents of the cave. Rather, she shook her head and looked down momentarily before continuing the search in an uncomfortable silence. However, her silence was replaced with the pulsing anger, which stemmed from her fear of failure. They walked. And nothing about their search was especially significant, a fact that set Kagome's blood ablaze with every step she took, the bones in her feet on the verge of crumbling to dust.

The day went on until the horizon bled into the blue skies like spilled paint colliding into each other. The group sat down to rest, the priestess only agreeing as she saw the exhaustion scribbled onto Sango and Miroku's faces. Surprised, they took the opportunity to scurry in search of any food they could get their hands on, a notion that Inuyasha greatly appreciated as he cleared the lump of anxiety from his throat, sitting next to the sighing woman, his gaze never faltering.

"Kagome... I..." He stopped, his mouth dry, "... You're not... looking too good."

She looked at his wide-eyes for a moment before furrowing her brows together, "That's not very nice, you jerk!"

Immediately putting his hands up to his chest so that his palms were facing her, he shook his head, "I didn't mean it like that, stupid!" He sighed, swallowing his reservations, "...It's just that... you ain't looking like yourself. You're constantly drained." His eyes softened, the corners of his mouth pulled down ever so slightly. She could see his ears dropping down onto the long silver strands that cascaded off of his head. She looked away.

"Inuyasha, I don't really have much of a choice... I can't... I can't just turn my back on this now." Her gaze lowered to the ground, "The guilt that would eat at me..."

"You have nothing to be guilty about, Kagome."

"Oh please, I don't need a lecture Inuyasha! You can't ask me to break my promises, ya know." She shot back, immediately feeling her defensiveness ascending like a barrier. Her muscles tensed up, and he found himself wanting to reach out to her, just to feel her skin at the moment. Just to feel that she was really there.

But he didn't.

"Keh, I ain't asking you to break any promises, wench." He grumbled, "Just hoping I could see the real Kagome for a bit."

"You're such a jerk. As if you didn't feel an obligation like this to Kikyo. Why are you acting like you can't understand?" Now, she was leaning, her eyes flaming, "But you know what, you have no idea. Your obligation to her was all based on your own guilt for not saving her. But I'm not gonna let it get that far in the first place. _I'm_ going to save her."

He growled, "I couldn't save Kikyo... but dammit I'm trying to save you."

She stopped breathing for a moment, turning to look at him and say something, but was interrupted by his sudden movement. He shot up with demonic speed and turned to leave, "I guess one way I can do that is by getting you some damn food. You look terrible." With that he stomped off.

She sat in her quietness, wishing she could have bit her tongue about Kikyo. In truth, she didn't know what the situation was with her. She hadn't seen her in so long, and she wasn't going to ask about it right now. But his sad reaction to the mention of his dead beloved had surely hinted that nothing improved with her.

 _Am I... making him miserable? He thought I was dead for years, but now that we've been reunited, he just wants for us to be as close as we once were._ She shook her head, _He wants to save me. Even if it's from myself right now. And it's killing him. It's killing everyone._

She shoved her face into the palms of her hands, _But I can't abandon Kagura... She's hurting, too."_

Her heart ached. She imagined Kagura not even knowing what it was like to live herself. She imagined the cruel conditions she's forced to deal with. And it physically made her sick. The pain was heavier than the thought of her own enslavement, which still bruised her. But in her head, taking the pain for herself was better than letting someone else have it.

 _Is it possible... to live for everyone?_ She knew the answer was no, and that she would have to choose Kagura for now. Even if it meant putting a hold on her own life with her friends. With Inuyasha. Still, she enjoyed flirting with the thought of living her life in a way that made everyone happy. She lit up as she thought of the genuine smiles on their faces. They were still burned into her brain as one of the better memories she had. She grinned inwardly as she remembered when she lived for them, but now it felt like they were trying to live for her.

The seconds alone turned into minutes without anyone returning. Recovering from her state of despondency, she lifted her head, observing her surroundings and listening for footsteps or movement of any kind that would indicate that her friends were close by. But she heard nothing. Felt nothing. The wind gracefully blew against her skin, chilling her to the bone as goosebumps rose up.

She stood, an eerie sensation shadowing over the atmosphere, like a ghost. Despite her recognition of her surroundings, the climate suddenly became unfamiliar. And in one blink of an eye, the silence crumbled under the foot that stomped down, shaking the greenery as leaves and bushes rustled.

"Who's there?" She called out, her fists clenched as she prepared for battle. Her eyes narrowed in as she scanned the environment, her breathing heavy, yet keeping a steady pace. Nothing but the wind answered her, but she just straightened herself and huffed out again, "I know someone is here. Stop being a coward and come out!"

"It seems not even captivity can dampen that annoying feisty attitude of yours." She turned to see Hakudoshi casually strutting out from behind the greenery. He grinned, flaunting his fearlessness as he approached her without caution. True, he knew of Kagome's enhanced powers, which had long since surpassed Kikyo and perhaps even Midoriko. But he didn't hesitate, nor did he put up any defenses against her. He just continued to step forward.

"You've got a lot of nerve coming here." She hissed, "Inuyasha will be back any moment."

"Oh please, if anything I should be more afraid of you, priestess. Inuyasha is a mere inconvenience." He chuckled, "I can read your mind. I know you bare hatred for me for trying to taint you all those years ago. Although, you are ignorant to Naraku's real plans. You see, it is not I who will use you your darkness against you. My job is just to create the darkness within you."

"Huh?" She raised an eyebrow, "...That doesn't make sense. It was you who was trying to break me. You were the one Naraku chose to darken my soul. If it wasn't you he planned on using to harness my darkness... then who?"

His smile grew wider until it took up most of his pale face, "My other half. Naraku has been hiding him in secret. While I can read your mind and use your thoughts against you with hopes that it will create darkness within you, my other half can manipulate it to control you like a puppet. Heh, if he gets a hold of you, you'll be at his mercy."

She remained with a straight posture, her brows still furrowed together as she analyzed the boy, "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I need your assistance, priestess." He took another step forward, "I know you plan on freeing Kagura... Tell me, is it worth all of the trouble you've gone through to do it?"

Her world stopped, vision blurring as she processed the information, and soon all other senses followed. Momentarily, she was stunned as though he had physically assaulted, becoming an easy target for a surprise attack. But Hakudoshi did nothing but watch her. He enjoyed her panic, the way he could see the pigmentation fading from her skin as if it was being drained out of her. Her mouth remained slightly opened, fear creeping in that it was too late to save her friend. If he knew, she daringly ventured to the point in her mind that wondered if Naraku knew as well.

"H-How...?" She stuttered.

"You may be powerful enough to keep a barrier on certain parts of your mind, but hers is an open book to me." He glued his gaze to her suffering, "Now, aren't you going to ask me what I want?"

She shook her head, "Why should I care what you want? You're going to betray her to Naraku anyways."

"Naraku is a fool. Why would I waste my time telling him when you're much more useful to me." He chuckled. A part of Kagome exhaled in relief, knowing that for now Kagura was safe. But she still hesitated to go any further in the conversation, feeling stuck between a rock and a hard place. If she didn't hear him out, he could easily inform Naraku of Kagura's betrayal. However, if she did hear him out, he may ask her to do something terrible. She exhaled heavily.

But she knew her pause would soon be valueless. She could not stand still in indecisiveness forever, "What do you want from me...?"

"Finally you ask." He snickered with confidence, "I'm looking to retrieve something. Something important. And I believe you can help me with that." He pulled out a sword from a sheath hidden on his hip. It appeared to be nothing special, however, Kagome knew better than to assume that. She analyzed it carefully, keeping an eye out for any demonic aura that may be emitting from it.

"I am sure you are aware of the Meido Zangetsuha technique. Inu no Taisho stole it from the yokai Shishinki, absorbing it into Tessaiga, but then passing it on to Tensaiga, which Sesshomaru currently possesses." He explained, "This technique allows for the user to send their opponents to the Netherworld when it can be fully mastered. But in the same way Inu no Taisho absorbed that technique into his own sword, I was able to use this sword to absorb part of the technique's power from Sesshomaru, sucking in the demonic energy."

She cocked her head to the side, nervously blinking, "Who do you plan on sending to the Netherworld?"

"Us."

* * *

 _The days blurred with them. Both awaited the times Kagome would be able to escape the responsibilities within the village, sneaking off into the wild to seek out the heart. However, neither were excited for the same reasons. Kagome's optimism flourished within her, and she couldn't help but think about being reunited with her dear friend. On the other hand, Kairo just wanted to see the priestess. To be able to talk with her, explore with her. He didn't know how to verbalize this, but the time he spent with her made him forget everything bad that happened without even having to use any of his demonic abilities. He sighed inwardly, hoping that maybe he might have an easier time telling her when she completes her mission._

 _But just as the positivism came, it went away with the remembrance of him. Inuyasha. When she had talked about him, he couldn't help but feel that the half-demon resided in the same place within her heart that he himself craved to be in. Suddenly, the idea of telling her became so far-fetched, as he began to fear that, if not reciprocated, would just lead to her pushing him away to be with Inuyasha._

 _"Kairo?" Her voice pierced through the fabric of his depression, bringing him back down to Earth. He peeked over, seeing her confused expression and knowing that he must have been lost in thought for a bit. They had been walking around a nearby forest next to the mountain, the woman closing her eyes every now and again to sense something, anything. Her features would momentarily scrunch up after feeling nothing, worry lines appearing above her brows like small ripples of despair before she shook it off and continued. But, during one of her quiet moments, the demon assumed that he must have gotten wrapped up in his admiration of her. When her eyes were shut, it was the only time he could quietly study her features, almost as if it was a map of a world he so desperately wanted to escape to._

 _"S-Sorry. I don't mean to get distracted." He apologized, allowing a smile to grace his face, hiding his distress as he moved his eyes downward until his gaze met the ground._

 _"Thinking about something?" She asked, her voice dancing all the way to his ears._

 _He sighed, "Well, you work so hard to find your friend's heart... I guess I just wish I had a friend like you when I was still prince." He lied, biting his tongue at the though of vomiting his true feelings to her. He glanced up at the woman, who was shooting him a sympathetic look, which didn't surprise him. Caring for people was what she did._

 _"Well, don't worry. I'll always be your friend." One side of her mouth curled upwards, her side smile bringing out one of his own as he turned his gaze forward, nodding at her to continue on. And they did, strutting through the forest with a newfound confidence in their friendship and in the mission. Despite his worries for where Kagome's true feelings were hidden, he managed to remain calm and enjoy the times he had with her. Though the inevitable was staring him down with beady, fearsome eyes, there was still a spark of hope that dimly lit the unknown darkness. He didn't know what would become of their relationship, but he was ready to try._

 _And try he did. Even as a week passed since he first deliberated on her vague feelings for Inuyasha, he continued his giddy attitude and a friendly demeanor. Although, somewhere along the line, while he remained upbeat, he noticed her get more frustrated. Yes, the Kagome he was very used to seem to hide behind a new skin made of anger and a lack of self-confidence. And through that, an obsession was woven. While Kairo had resolved to try for her, he wasn't even sure he had any opportunity anymore to even advance a platonic friendship. By the hour, she was becoming more and more disappointed with her lack of findings, scared that perhaps she would never find the heart before Naraku wasted Kagura. She couldn't even be sure he hadn't already done it. And he could see the disappointment in herself as she stared in the distance with half-lidded eyes, her mouth a straight line across her face._

 _It had to have been midday after an hour of exploring another path opposite of the one they'd been on before she was welcomed in the village. She had just finished mumbling something about always having to sneak out before the villagers could bombard her with requests that she knew she couldn't reject. She was fighting the part of her that was caring to those in need just to get another 2 hours a day for this mission. Kairo had nodded, telling her that he was glad to wake up early for her. She had smiled briefly, almost as if it was just to be polite at his sweetness, but they continued to walk in silence._

 _"I can't feel anything." She sighed heavily, "I'm supposed to be a strong priestess. I should be able to sense the heart of a demon like her from miles away and yet I'm scouring the area and not even sensing a glimpse of anything besides a few demons that are too weak to even confront us." She sighed again, this time louder, "Her heart has to be pulsing with a strong demonic aura. At least one that's similar to hers. But I've got nothing! What if Naraku hid it across the seas or in some compartment in Kanna's mirror? How will I ever know?"_

 _Kairo saw the pained look on her face and let his shoulders droop, "I...I really wish I could be more help."_

 _She shook her head, "It's not your fault. It's mine. I'm too weak. I'm a failure."_

 _"Hey!" He turned to her, "Don't talk like that! You've spent so much time on this mission, and even if you haven't found her heart, yet, I doubt someone could find it faster. This isn't an easy task, but you've already proved yourself a loyal friend. That's more than a lot can say."_

 _"Loyal?" The priestess narrowed her eyes, "That's no win unless I find the heart. If I can't and she dies, she won't even know I remained dedicated to her freedom. It will be a hallow accomplishment. And she still would have never lived a good life."_

 _The bird demon swallowed whatever other optimistic speeches he had planned, knowing it would be of no avail right now. Usually she would look at him with gratitude, showing him how happy she was to have him around. But she just bit at him now, rejecting any notion that her efforts were worth anything on their own. He figured pretty quickly that he could not convince her that she had anything to be proud of, and the fact that her bitterness was merely a product of her own self-loathing gnawed at his heart. This mission was ruining her._

 _That night, Kairo left her near the village as she traveled back, hoping to evade the villagers as she stalked to her hut and sat down with a thud. Part her couldn't even fathom why she thought she deserved a full night's rest when she still hasn't accomplished anything rather than getting a good amount of exercise everyday._

 _But still, she got ready for bed, changing into a sleeping robe before preparing to rest. She knew she'd work better if she wasn't exhausted. As Inuyasha used to say, humans needed to sleep. And that's what she was: human. Even when she hated to admit to that. As she rested her head and prepared to close her eyes, she began feeling sleep beckon her quicker than she anticipated, not that she didn't like it. Although, despite her desire to fall asleep as quickly as possible, this felt forced. As if she wouldn't have been able to stop herself had she not wanted to doze off. Still, the lids of her eyes met, gently touching like the careful embrace of lovers._

 _And then darkness enveloped her, wrapping around her like a thick, inescapable blanket. The quietness of lonely rest became a lullaby through which she gained some energy as the night went on. Nothingness passed through where her thoughts had been, her mind spacious and empty like an open field or a starless night sky. It was peaceful, the kind of sleep that doesn't pass in a blink of an eye, but feels long lasting and refreshing._

 _And then, it was gone. Kagome's starless sky became a mess of constellations and UFOs. Her field became a crowded forest. Thoughts began to circle, her senses began to ache and pull, although her lids remained closed. She trembled inwardly, unsure of what to think. Was she about to dream? Was she experiencing the process through which dreams begin? She couldn't tell, all she knew was that, despite still being asleep, she didn't feel like she was. The darkness she began perceiving didn't feel like the darkness one saw when they shut their eyes. It felt like the darkness was surrounding her. Like it was real. She shuddered, trying to be smart about this. If this is a dream, then she would wake up eventually. If not, she wasn't as weak as she used to be. She would handle the situation as best she could._

 _"Find meeee." A voice hissed from nowhere in particular. Just like the darkness, it seemed to surround her._

 _She shook her head. There was something familiar about the voice, yet utterly strange as though she had never heard it before. It was an odd combination that rattled her senses. And she couldn't figure out what to do about it. She wondered if she should call back, but stayed quiet, waiting in anticipation._

 _"I am near. Find meeee."_

 _Kagome paused before shouting, "Who are you?"_

 _"You know me. Though we have never met."_

 _She shook her head. It just wasn't making any sense to her. This voice that was calling out didn't seem menacing. She didn't feel threatened or violated. In fact, she found herself calming at its sound. And yet, she was sure that, despite its familiarity, she had never heard that voice before. She took a deep breath, "How will I find you if we've never met?"_

 _There was silence for a moment, but the voice soon replied, "Though I will not call you by name, you will hear me."_

 _"Are you in trouble?" She asked._

 _"Always."_

 _"How will I know you're calling for me?" She questioned._

 _"..." The voice said nothing, but all she could hear was the faint sound of pounding, almost like a drum in the distance. But it wasn't a drum, she knew the sound. She knew the rhythm. And with that she awoke, finding herself sitting up in a panic. That sound..._

 _"A heartbeat!" She realized. She took a deep breath, calming her body down as she bit her bottom lip in deep thought. She didn't know what was going on or even how to react to this. But if there was one thing she was certain of, it was that the voice she heard was not a part of any dream. It was real._

* * *

Kagome held her breath as Hakudoshi whipped his sword, darkness beginning to extend from it. On his face rested a sinister smile that outstretched and curled on the edged as he watched the darkness form a portal on the ground. The priestess leaned over it, with hopes of seeing what she was getting herself into, but the portal remained a dark void to the naked eye. She compared it to her imagined idea of a blackhole, wondering if her body would distort itself on the way down. She bit her lip at the thought, despising Hakudoshi for making her do this, but remaining decidedly calm. She wouldn't show her fear to him. She wouldn't show any hesitance. He would only see her resolve to do whatever it takes.

But damn, was she scared.

His meido was nothing like Sesshomaru's, who's portal would resemble space, showcasing stars and other celestial beings. She wondered what this difference could mean, and if it was related to the fact that Hakudoshi had figured out how to use it safely for travel.

"Okay, priestess." He hissed, his small stature no obstacle for his confidence and intimidation tactics, "Jump in."

She looked back, "And how will I know this won't actually kill me?"

He chuckled, "I'm glad you asked. You see, the original meido was meant to kill an opponent while not actually harming them. Like the original, my meido will not cause harm, but it will also not kill you. This sword I wield is a traveler's sword. If I were to cut you with it, it would not harm you because it is meant to cut through the fabric of one dimension to create a portal to another. With the demonic energy I gathered from Sesshomaru's meido, my sword now has access to the netherworld, but it remains unable to kill."

The woman pondered his explanation, "So, you mean to say that, because you're sword is unable to cause other people harm, any attack it absorbs, like the meido, will lose any ability to hurt or kill others? How did you manage to even get a sword like that?"

The child demon just huffed, "Naraku knows of your time travel and crafted this sword using wandering souls, who have loose connections to the different worlds. He did so with hopes that it could absorb energy from the Bone Eater's Well so that he would be able to travel to your era if you had ever run back there for safety." Kagome nodded, uneasy with the thought of Naraku roaming about in the Modern Era. She imagined him floating about Tokyo, causing a panic. Or worse, attacking her family. She gulped, while Hakudoshi just watched.

"So, before this portal closes, jump in." He said, his tone getting rather impatient with all of the distractions. His eyes narrowed at the priestess as he could still sense her hesitance to go through.

He shook his head, "If it makes you feel better, I'll jump with you." He extended his short arm to her, and she reluctantly grabbed his hand, a wicked smile still plastered on his face as she did so. Icy skin forced a shiver from her body, but she ignored it, looking back into the void and taking a deep breath. Time slowed as they moved. She bent her knees slightly, ready to leap into the unknown, and as their feet left the ground, she took one final puff of air before gravity pulled them down.

And through the void they went.

The priestess kept her eyes shut as they descended, feeling her body turn into nothing. It was as if her skin and bones had disappeared and she was just a floating, airy soul, with no weight whatsoever. The thought caused an increase in her anxiety, mind fraught with thoughts that she, in fact, had passed on, losing her physical body. She wanted to flail her arms, but she couldn't. She wanted to take a deep breath, but she couldn't.

"Priestess, do not be fooled by this." She heard the child demon's voice slice through her moment of panic, "This is but a transition. You will be given back your body." His words comforted her a bit, but she couldn't help but be rife with anxiousness, feeling helpless in this new existence she was forced into. Nothing but a soul. Uncomfortable in it's weightlessness. She waited, unable to completely relax. It felt as though hours were creeping behind her, tormenting as she begged silently to feel her physical self and know that she was alive.

But soon, she could feel her body materializing, slowly but then all at once. It was almost as if all the little atoms that made up her skin and bones were all rushing back into place, one by one. She quietly stretched out her fingers, wiggling them in relief. When she built up the courage to open her eyes, she saw a cracked ground below her, smoke rising up. The remains of nature were scattered across this desolate land, with dead trees adorned with leafless branches and rotten fruit gathered at their trunks. Remains of a stone castle seemed evident, with lonely and incomplete walls still standing about, some decorated with broken windows, all roofless. The sight was void of all hope and void of all life.

As she landed, her body becoming connected to this world, she could feel the heat of the smoke burning her skin, though no signs of it showed. In pain, she winced, biting her lip the sensation continued to magnify.

"Can't handle a little heat, priestess?" Hakudoshi landed, showing no signs of even discomfort, "You will get used to it."

"So, you can feel it?" She wondered.

He nodded, "Yes. But there is no reason for alarm. This place cannot cause your physical body any real harm."

With that, the incarnation kept walking and Kagome reluctantly followed. As she moved, she could feel her skin adapting to the harsh heat, and it became more manageable. Still, the atmosphere reeked with inconsolable sadness and despair, the kind that tugged at her soul, threatening her purity, hating her with a magnitude she didn't even know was possible. It made her heart ache, a feeling that begged for her to put a hand on her chest with hopes that it would stop her heart from bursting out.

They wandered over to a wall that stood about double the priestess's height, but only an arms span wide. Shattered glass rested on the floor from the wounded window, and the demon child looked through, grinning as he did. "Come." He ordered, and the two ambled over to the other side of the wall, where a man sat, his legs bent in unfathomable ways. Unspeakable ways. Kagome looked away momentarily, in shock. She couldn't bear to see the suffering that laid before her, her knees shaking at the thought that they, too, might bend backwards instead of forward and break.

"You... priestess..." The man whispered, his voice raspy and dry, "Why have you come?"

She slowly turned her head back to him, taking in a puff of air as she did. The whites of his eyes had turned yellow, any color had faded to black. His brows furrowed together in irritation, unplucked and messy. He took heavy breaths with his cracked lips parted, teeth gritting together with every huff. He seemed angry, though his question had sounded curious and weak.

"Do not speak to her." Hakudoshi grinned, "We have not come for the likes of you. I am looking for a man named Ninken."

Her jaw dropped, and she turned to face the demon, mouth agape. Words of disbelief hung from her bottom lip, though she struggled to even verbalize them out loud, while feelings of betrayal manifested in her blood. Surely, he knew what Ninken had done. How could he bring her here to face him again. Was he just tormenting her?

 _No... He can't be just trying to hurt me... He wouldn't betray Naraku for that purpose._ She thought, _Besides, I already faced Ninken. I faced what he did to me. And for Kagura, I can't let him be another obstacle even in death..._

"I owe you filthy mortals nothing. Die in this place." The dead man hissed, "Join me in hell, burn with me."

"Shut up. You are pathetic." Hakudoshi approached him, his body now hovering over the damned man, "This woman can purify you, here. Untaint your disgusting soul. Send you to heaven."

"You cannot untaint me. I am pure disgust and anguish. Keep your filth of a woman away from me." The man glanced back over at Kagome.

"Then, tell us where I may find Ninken. A demon king would be talked about in Hell. You may not be able to walk, but I am sure that you have heard." Hakudoshi flaunted a devilish grin on his young face, clearly entertained by the whole situation. It almost seemed as though he enjoyed being in the Netherworld.

"As a man, I strangled to death 13 children. I violated their mothers, and tormented their fathers. All until the town unified to give onto me what I deserved, which was death. But I regret nothing, you see. I am here because the memory of their suffering still brings me contentment." His voice grew louder as he spoke, "I wish not that I could go to heaven, a place of peace and goodness, where I could not cherish their deaths as I do now. So, have this woman leave me. Ninken resides at the base of a tree that you will find if you continue north."

"That is all I needed to know." Hakudoshi turned, strutting forward with a straight face that seemed almost emotionless. He was not phased, nor did he feel anything towards the man.

As he continued, Kagome rushed over to him, "Even though he doesn't want to... shouldn't I purify him anyways? To save him?" Her eyes glistened with hope that maybe after she purified the evil in his soul, he would repent and go to heaven.

"You are too stupid." He snorted in response, "It was a lie. You can't purify the evil inside of him to make him good. He was consumed by evil, which is why he is here. He will disappear from existence if you tried because once the evil is gone, he is nothing. There is nothing remaining of him. I simply told him you could make him pure because the damned souls here resent heaven and goodness."

"I... I can't help him?" She turned back to glance at him, but he had already faded from view, "That's horrible... too be consumed by hatred."

"You are too obsessed with trying to save everyone." He huffed, "Regret will consume you once you realized you never lived for yourself."

"Huh?" She questioned, "Hey, what's wrong with trying to save people?"

"You can't save everyone." The child demon began to pick up speed, "Now hush, I do not want to entertain your ridiculous goals any further."

As they walked, Kagome realized that the burning sensation had nearly disappeared, though she could still feel the heat as the smoke rose from the cracks in the ground. Still, the uncomfortable feeling that haunted her as she continued to follow her enemy down this path felt like an itch that you couldn't quite scratch. It started off manageable but grew and grew, begging to be relieved. She clenched her fists as the grim and miserable scenery assaulted her senses, the scent of sickness and death ever so prevalent.

They passed several more damned souls, bodies morphed like ribbons tied to make bows. Some were lying helplessly on the ground was other slowly roamed, necks twisted and eyes unblinking. None seemed to notice or care that they were here, though some shouted profanities, cackling as they did. But she didn't care for what they called her. All her felt was the sympathy she had that they fell into a path of pain and rage, and the uncomfortable fact that it was all they were now. They looked like men and women, but they were just manifestations of the evil they created in themselves. And it was a realization that stayed in her throat no matter how hard she tried to swallow it.

 _C'mon Kagome. C'mon. There is nothing you can do anymore to save them, so just keep walking. You're already here, and there is no way Hakudoshi will create another portal back to the world of the living until you help him... I just wish I knew what he wanted. All he would say is that he needed me, probably because he didn't want to tell me it involved Ninken._ She thought, taking several quick glances at the cunning child, who walked with a sense of confidence and cleverness that she couldn't quite ignore, _And I went along with it because I knew he would tell Naraku of Kagura's betrayal if I didn't. So, I cannot back down now. I will be brave._

She filled her trek with positive affirmations, reminding herself over and over again that she was capable of facing her past once more. Nothing but slow paced breathing could be heard on his end. His face remained expressionless, only with eyes that were filled with decisiveness and intent. And while she made her observation, he lifted his arm, pointing in front of them, and without hesitation, Kagome followed where he was pointing to until she saw another dead tree, this one with a man sitting with his back against the trunk.

His pale skin contrasted with his black hair, almost like the moon against the night sky. The hair fell to his shoulder, pin straight as he stayed perfectly still in his quiet solitude. The royal garments he used to wear were now scraps of cloth. But curiously enough, he still wore a golden crown on his head. Kagome wanted to pause. No, more than that she wanted to run away and curl up somewhere quiet and lonely, but Hakudoshi motioned her to pick up the speed, and her legs betrayed her in doing so. And they walked and walked until King Ninken's face got clearer in view.

She gasped when she saw it. While his face had been nearly symmetrical once before, the right side of his face had shifted slightly lower than the rest. And his crown hugged his head so tight, it looked as though it may burst. The sight disgusted the priestess in ways she didn't know she could be disgusted, but she didn't stop.

 _I am brave. I am my own hero. I will be Kagura's hero._

And, despite her attempted of pumping herself up, she still felt the anxiousness rise as she waited for the former demon king to notice her. To look at her. And as she opened and closed her mouth, contemplating whether or not to call out to him and make the first move, the child demon who stood by her side made the decision for her.

"So, you are Ninken, the pathetic former king of the fire demon kingdom." He hissed, causing the demon to look up from his lonely thoughts and gaze upon his unexpected visitors. Both eyes widened as he glanced at Kagome, though it was only momentarily. After recovering from the shock, his expression returned to one of solemn and he looked over expectantly at Hakudoshi.

"I see that ghosts will come to haunt me, even here in the Netherworld." He grumbled, "Who are you, child? And why do you bring to me my murderer?"

Hakudoshi grinned mischievously, " Do not worry about who I am. I merely came to seek information from you about a secret it seems you and your men took to your graves."

"Huh? What are you talking about, Hakudoshi?" Kagome questioned, now painfully in need to know why it is he forced her here to begin with, and what secret he was desperate to know. But the incarnation shushed her, focusing back on the late king.

Ninken's eye twitched as he processed the words, "You mean... the ancient weapon that my ancestors hid away hundreds of years ago... Yes. You must be talking about that."

"You catch on quickly, Ninken." The child mused, "Yes, this ancient weapon led you to crave the power of the Shikon Jewel in first place, correct?"

"I had hoped the attaining two shards of the Shikon would make me powerful enough to break the barrier my ancestor's put around the ancient weapon. It is why I made the deal with a man as dangerous as Naraku in the first place." He explained, "But I feel there is no reason to disclose what I know about its whereabouts to the likes of you two."

"Would you feel more compelled if I told you that, even in this world, Kagome has the power to purify you?" The tone of Hakudoshi's voice was sinister and dark, almost as if enjoyed spitting out this threat even more the second time. He must have, because, as he spoke, his smile grew, awaiting the shock or panic. But it didn't come.

"My little Kagome." The late king's attention moved towards the supposed threat to him, one eyebrow cocked as he examined his killer, though fear was not present in his distorted features, "Would you be able to stand to touch me once more, or did I not take apart your sanity enough?"

Caught off guard by his question, the priestess paused, sucking back into her helplessness, remembering what it was like to be at his mercy. But she took a deep breath and hardened her glance at him, "I killed you once. Don't you forget."

"So, perhaps you are not as pure as Naraku thought? Perhaps I shall rest in peace down here knowing that I tainted your wretched soul. Bitch, you are my masterpiece." He seemed delighted by this, watching her with smiling eyes, "Tell me, does it pain you to look at me?"

"I was your slave. But that was then. Today, I'll be the one leaving you in hell." Her words surprised herself as she realized how ironic it was. He had made her life hell, but now she was standing over him as the person who sent him to hell. She had nothing more to be afraid of. He was gone from her world and left in this void of nothingness, only after she had overcome him. There was nothing more she owed to the situation but to move on from her pain and fears.

Hakudoshi took this moment to step back in, "Maybe you should be a little less concerned with the priestess, and more concerned with yourself. She will purify you, and in death, it will be even more painful as she destroys all the evil in your soul."

He flinched now, his expression becoming more reminiscent of the one he wore when he lost to Inuyasha and the gang. Kagome knew that, despite his desire to appear indifferent, he was scared, now.

"I am all evil. I've lost any form of love and compassion. If she were to purify me, I would become nothing." He whispered, almost as if he was explaining it to himself. His black eyes widened with uncertainty as he contemplated his next move.

"So, you are aware of that detail. Many of the damned souls in here are not smart enough to figure that out." The demon child laughed, "Well, Ninken, tell me how I can find this ancient weapon, or prepared to be purified."

Kagome watched him carefully, squaring her eyes as she waited for his answer.

"... There are secret paths in my castle, paths that lead to many of the forbidden rooms. If you take them, you will find my grave of priestesses, where I have stashed away a key." He explained reluctantly, his voice low and shameful. Kagome felt a hitch in her breathing as she remembered the disturbing images of the tormented priestesses that lay on the floors, scattered like junk.

"A key?" Hakudoshi asked.

"Yes. Within the skulls of one of the priestess's, you will find a silver key. Once you figure out how to break the barrier of that hides the weapon, the use of that key on any door in the castle will take you to the weapon." He continued, "And that is all I know of it."

"In a skull? Why would you hide it in a priestess's skull?! Have you not degraded their bodies enough?" Kagome shouted, rage rising and pulsing within her, bringing her blood to a boil. She couldn't believe that he would use a dead body as a hiding space.

But Ninken laughed, "The body you seek is not one of a starved slave. She will be adorned in jewelry, her body wrapped in silk. I do not think I degraded her body at all, a regret I have."

Confused, Kagome started with her jaw dropped, unable to make sense of what Ninken was talking about, or who this priestess was if not a slave. But, before she could spit back another response, Hakudoshi pulled out his sword and whipped it into the air, creating another portal. Without hesitance, he grabbed her hand.

"Come. We are done here, priestess." And with that, he forced her through the portal, following after her.

The journey back through the portal was quick and painless, and before she knew it, she was on the cold grass, her body no longer feeling uncomfortable beneath a murky and sorrowful atmosphere. She looked around, surprised to find that no one had returned to the campsite yet. Still, she straightened herself out and looked over at Hakudoshi, who seemed satisfied in their journey.

"Why did you pull me out? I wanted to know about the priestess!" She demanded, her mind still lingering on the conversation, she being unable to come up with a logical explanation as to why Ninken would have a priestess corpse in his possession if it had not been the body of a slave.

"Ninken was in love with her at one point, if you really must know." Hakudoshi sighed, putting the sword back in its sheath.

"In love? What happened?" She replied curiously.

"He had been in a secret relationship with her. When the kingdom began its downfall, the other elites found out about her, and began questioning his authority." He explained, his tone void of any emotion, "He wanted to kill them all, but she wouldn't let him, threatening to leave him if he stooped so low, which made him angry. He wanted power, and he didn't see any way of getting it and still having her. So, he killed her to prove a point to the elites, and made priestesses his target for slavery to save his title."

"That...that's awful." Kagome whispered, wishing now that said priestess was able to rest in peace despite her misfortune. She flashed back to the time where Ninken had asked her why she thought he hated priestesses.

 _"I want to knock you off your wretched high horse and show you that you are nothing."_ That was the response Ninken had given her at the time. She thought perhaps he felt resentment towards his lover for stopping him from killing the other elites to preserve their relationship; for trying to make him into a better man. To justify his decision, he had formed an image of her that was self-righteous and on a high horse, when in reality she must have just cared for his soul.

"Heh, there is no point in caring about it. Both were foolish, letting their pathetic emotions lead them down destructive paths." The child huffed, "Now, I will bid you farewell for now. The others will be returning, as time had stopped while we were in the Netherworld. But don't expect me to be so cordial the next time we meet. You have served your purpose to me."

"Wait!" Kagome shouted as he formed a barrier around himself, "You...You're going to get that key..."

Hakudoshi paused, a wicked grin forming on his face as he answered with his sinister expression. Now, the woman faced another dilemma as she faced the child demon. She could either let him go to ensure Kagura's safety, or she could try to stop him before he gained this mysterious ancient weapon and used it to complete terrible deeds. A low growl emitted from her throat, her mind fraught with confusion.

"I can't let you leave unless you tell me what it is you plan on doing with this weapon." Her voice lowered, as she took a deep breath, eyes narrowing in on him.

"Heh, I can assure you that I have no interest in using it against you or your precious friends. Nor do I plan on letting Naraku have it." He chucked, "However, I am not foolish enough to divulge any more information to you. Kagura will be safe as long as you stay out of my way."

"I'll only stay out of your way as long as you give me no reason not to." She retorted, still standing tall against her enemy, "And like you said, you should be afraid of me."

His expression changed as he now flaunted a more serious disposition. But he said nothing back to her, but merely floated off in his barrier and disappeared from sight. She watched him, hoping her threat was enough to prevent him from causing havoc, but knowing that she should better stay on the lookout for any villages claiming to have been attacked by a demon child.

"Are you okay, Kagome?" Inuyasha rushed over, grabbing both of her shoulders and looking deep into her eyes as he did so, clearly in a panic, "I can smell him. Hakudoshi was nearby."

But Kagome just looked back at him, his face symmetrical, with arms and legs undisturbed by the punishment of the inferno. And it relieved her now, to see his concern, his sincerity. She looked down at her own body, feeling the push and pull of life all around her. And just as it pushed to keep her feet on the ground, it then pulled her closer to the silver half-demon, and before she knew it, she was crashed against his chest, her arms wrapping around his neck.

"He was here. But I'm okay, Inuyasha." She whispered into him, "I'm okay now that you're here."

 **Phewww. What a chapter. I had so much writer's block during it. Even though I plan chapters before I write, I just for some reason had to rewrite this last section of the chapter so many times, wanting to really hone in the depressing atmosphere of hell and how it felt to be immersed in it, while also making it a growing experience for Kagome.**

 **And yes, I know everyone likes to take fics to hell. But I absolutely needed to in order to fulfill this role with Ninken. (And if you're wondering, the quote she flashes back to can be found in the first chapter of this fic!) I love connecting everything back, even the smallest things. And I just knew that Ninken had to have some sort of deeper motivation. His role in the story didn't feel complete to me, and in a sense I felt that Kagome also needed to see him and really feel as though she had grown past his torment.**

 **So, I hope you liked it! Let me know via reviews.**


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